It is typical of "Country Song" that the only true country singer in the film, Tim McGraw, doesn't sing in the film--though he does sing over the closing credits. I assume that Garrett Hedlund, Leighton Meester and Gwyneth Paltrow
do their own singing, or so it is hyped and Hollywood wouldn't lie,
would they? All have adequate voices but none stand out, nor do the
songs they are given to sing.

I have always had a problem with Gwyneth Paltrow
in that I find her very bland and disappears in whatever movie she is
in. I don't remember a single scene of hers in "Shakespeare In Love" for
which she won an Oscar. In a pivotal scene, in this movie, she is
having a breakdown with alcohol, tears, mascara running down her face
and, yet, you feel nothing. She is blank, telling us nothing about this
super star who was put into rehab after a miscarriage. You never do see
inside this woman, who she is or why she is that way and that is
partially due to the screenplay by Shana Feste, who also (mis) directed, but it is mainly due to the performance of Paltrow.

In
many cases you have to leave logic at the door when you walk into a
movie so I won't question that Garrett Hedlund, who plays Paltrow's
sponser, and lover,  and we meet at the rehab center looking after her,
yet he drinks all through the movie. Garrett has bedroom eyes, talent,
appeal, sings most of the songs in the movie but has, sorry, one of the
worst beards I have ever seen on an actor.

Tim McGraw is strong in his role but always seems to be, unnecessarily,  on the verge of tears. You know he loved Paltrow
but not if he stays does. Does he take her out of rehab early because
he thinks he knows what she needs or because he is her manager? Or
because he wants to jump start the career of a younger woman who might
take the place of his wife on stage and in bed?

Leighton Meester plays the up and coming country singer who freezes on stage until Hedlund comes to her rescue--do you see where that is heading?--and would willingly take the center spotlight of the stage. Meester does an adequate job but doesn't have the charisma or power to carry the film for Paltrow.

Instead
of seeing "Country Strong" rent "Coal Miner's Daughter" or "Sweet
Dreams" both based on true stories of country singing divas, with strong
performances and strong songs.