Sing Street (2016) | Film Review

As a huge fan of both music and movies, I’m automatically drawn to most films that tackle the subject of starting a band.  I’ve been in a few bands myself, but seeing how I lack the raw talent to make it anywhere, I end up living the rock star fantasy vicariously through characters in film. What always bums me out in movies of that genre, however, are the low notes, especially with those based on actual musicians. Someone almost always falls into drugs and alcohol, the band members get into some kind of argument that ends up breaking up the group, or they end up being a one-hit wonder that fizzles into the realm of the unforgotten. In director John Carney’s latest addition, “Sing Street”, the low notes don’t leave you wishing things had played out differently.  On the contrary, the low notes do exactly what they should do for every musician: Inspire.

Connor lives in Dublin, Ireland in the mid-1980’s. His parents are on the brink of splitting up, and he’s been transferred to a rough Catholic school at the age of 15. Being well-educated and on the side of pacifism, he struggles to fit into this new world where nearly everyone from the students to the priest running the school bullies him.  His older brother, Brendan, introduces him to the world of music videos, and Connor recruits an aspiring model, by the name of Raphina, to be in his own music video in an attempt to win her heart.  There’s just one problem: Connor isn’t in a band. And thus begins his journey to assemble musicians for the sole purpose of getting the girl.

While the story may sound simple enough, the journey is anything but. Since he’s putting the cart before the horse, Connor has no idea what kind of music he wants to create, so he simply gives it a “futuristic” label that is eventually inspired by bands like Duran Duran, Hall and Oates, and The Cure. His further inspiration comes from his strained family life, heartache, and (most importantly) his seemingly loser, yet surprisingly wise, older brother.  Connor’s artistic expression is awakened by this myriad of life experiences that culminates into something very special for both the audience in the film, as well as the one in the theater.

The only actor I recognized in “Sing Street” is Aidan Gillen, who plays a minor role as Connor’s father. While his performance was perfectly acceptable, he played second fiddle to the younger stars of the film. Connor is played by newcomer Ferdia Walsh-Peelo, who completely won me over as a kind-hearted rebel with a love for music as well as the stunning Raphina, portrayed by Lucy Boynton. Sure, Connor’s intentions are one directional, but Boynton’s work shines a light on the character’s intelligence and intriguing nature that makes the audience understand why our hero is so drawn to her. Above all, each actor didn’t make me feel like I was watching scripted scenes; instead, I felt like I was eavesdropping on real conversations by real people. To me, this is the sign of quality acting.

One of the better reasons to see this film, however, is Jack Reynor’s execution as Brendan. The character’s first impression comes across as very condescending and unlikeable, but Reynor delivers a conflicted individual torn between his poor life choices and his love for his younger brother, as well as his passion for music. While he may look like the illegitimate love-child of Chris Pratt and Chris Hemsworth, he doesn’t have to rely on his charming good looks to make the audience fall in love with him.  Instead, he makes us sympathize with him while at the same time cheering him on as he pushes Connor to live the life that he was either unwilling or unable to do himself.

It’s impossible to talk about films of this genre without mentioning the music, and “Sing Street” delivers a good mix of classic and original tunes that kept my toe tapping throughout the film’s hour and forty-six minutes. Fans of music from this decade will appreciate the familiar artists mentioned above, but also (like I did) hop on Google to find a place to download the soundtrack immediately.  What works so well with the original music is that it feels both retro and fresh at the same time. I also enjoyed the progression of the music from a bunch of geeks struggling to make anything that sounds remotely garage band quality to a legitimate band with hooks that dug deep into my soul. What I particularly liked was that the music never sounded perfect or studio quality; while some may be turned off by the raw nature of the tunes, it made me feel like there was more to come for Connor as he headed towards his hopes and dreams.

If you’re like me and love watching stories about a band’s ascension into something more, don’t miss this flick. It covers all of the bases in terms of comedy, drama, heart, and soul.  Even though it has some extended moments that slow down the pace a tiny bit, at the end of the day I accepted it as a story about getting the girl and that those moments were necessary. As the credits rolled, I felt the desire to see more.  As Brendan says in the film, “Rock n’ roll is a risk”, and this is one risk that I’m happy to say paid off for John Carney, a director whose future films are now forever on my must-see list.