One Chance - B-

Rated PG-13, 103 minutes
Wes's Grade: B-

"One Chance" tells the uplifting story of a real guy who became famous

Everyone loves a rags-to-riches story, and the charming new dramedy "One Chance" mines that formula perfectly as it tells the story of the first winner of one of Britian's popular reality talent shows. It's nothing new or revelatory and if you know the story you know how it turns out, but it's peppered with some touching moments. The movie tells the inspirational true story of Paul Potts (played by Tony-award winner James Corden), a shy, bullied shop assistant by day and an amateur opera singer by night. Paul became an instant YouTube phenomenon after being chosen by Simon Cowell for 'Britain's Got Talent.' Wowing audiences worldwide with his phenomenal voice, Paul went on to win 'Britain's Got Talent' and the hearts of millions. Directed by David Frankel ("The Devil Wears Prada") and scripted by Justin Zackham of "The Bucket List" fame, the pleasantly entertaining but unsurprising "One Chance" could be about any number of singers who hit it big (Kelly Clarkson comes to mind) on reality shows in the 2000s. The film is well-cast, with the immensely likable Corden, a British actor who has had some success across the pond but who you'll see much more of soon: he is replacing Craig Ferguson on his talk show and will also be seen in the big-budget musical "Into the Woods" at Christmas. He makes for a very appealing Potts, a talented but down-and-out singer who was once told by Pavarotti himself that he couldn't make it an opera singer. Potts, a normal schlub if there ever was one, would change that and more by going on "Britain's Got Talent" and taking the top prize; the film is wise to use Potts' own recordings, and the lip-synching is evident in some scenes (though Corden himself is a singer, though not classically trained as Potts was). The supporting cast is fun and includes a few familiar faces, including Alexandra Roach as his encouraging wife and the stalwart character actors Julie Walters and Colm Meaney as his well-meaning but often grumpy parents. Surprisingly, the movie doesn't spend as much as time as you might think on the "Britain's Got Talent" part of Potts' story, really the last 15 minutes are spent on that, while the rest of it is spent on Potts' downbeat life until then, and I wished to have seen more of Simon Cowell, but that is remarkably brief. Still, the upbeat and pleasantly entertaining "One Chance" is worth a look, and you'll also want to catch some of Potts' You Tube videos too to see the real thing.