Sing Street (2016) Review!!!

Synopsis – A boy growing up in Dublin during the 1980s escapes his strained family life by starting a band to impress the mysterious girl he likes.

My Take – The time spend during our high school is usually messed up. The constant insecurities and the changing dynamics (both physically and psychologically) often end up affecting our adolescent decision making skills, thereby affecting our relationships. While high school girls often think they’re not pretty enough or popular enough, boys fear they’re not cool enough or tough enough. Of course, these are only a few of the characteristics that teens in high school – both boys and girls believe they lack. This of course is not true! With this film, director John Carney shows it’s okay to be sad, well not in the Inside Out way but in something more subtle, as nearly every character in the film is damaged one way – or other. The hugely intelligent script by writer and director John Carney drips the issues out in such tiny insinuations and snippets of conversation that it feels lifelike. The best stories about teenagers are rooted in pain and isolation, and this is no different. Director Carney who was also responsible for two previous music-centric films, Once (2007) and Begin Again (2013) is an exceptional story teller who puts music at the center, but avoids the label of “musical” by making it about people, rather than notes. Here, director John Carney successfully marries the modest sincerity of Once and the upbeat grandeurs of Begin Again, in the best possible way. Apparently this is also a semi-autobiographical take on Carney‘s teenage years. Being set in the 80’s it undeniably lends itself to comic relief as these schoolboys are forced to navigate through hair, makeup, fashion and music video choices along their artistic journey. We get plenty of laughs as we watch them try to forge an identity and look like bona-fide rock stars in this crazy MTV generation. There is quite a deal of drama as well. We see bullying in an all-boys school, dysfunctional families, the economic hardships of Ireland in the 80’s and young people’s wish to break out of societal malaise and seek their fortunes elsewhere. I haven’t lived in Ireland but the desire to pack your bags and start over in another place is a universal one, I am sure audiences in every continent can relate to that. Sure, all of this might make you think this is a hugely depressing, kitchen-sink type of drama that will leave you, at the end of the evening, in dire need of a box-full of chocolates to cheer you up. Nothing could be further from the truth as this is a film that shows us it’s okay to be insecure and sad sometimes, but you can also learn to be happy during those times and even to rise above them or be “Happy-Sad” as the film calls it.

The story follows Conor Lalor (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo), a 15 year old living in South side Dublin in the 1980s and belongs to an upper middle class family that has fallen on hard times. His parents Robert (Aidan Gillen) & Penny (Maria Doyle Kennedy) have constant fights. His older brother Brendan (Jack Reynor) is a college dropout and his sister Ann (Kelly Thornton), the ‘smart one,’ pretty much keeps to herself. Due to financial strain, Conor is informed that he’s being taken out of his private Jesuit high school and being transferred to a local Catholic boy’s school nearby. At first, things go miserably. He’s hassled by bullies like Barry (Ian Kenny), called names openly in class and harangued by the school’s principal Father Baxter (Don Wycherley). His only solace is watching new wave music videos with Brendan. Things change however with the appearance of the mysterious and strikingly beautiful 16 year old Raphina (Lucy Boynton), a struggling wannabe model with “mysterious eyes” who hangs around outside the Woman’s hostel opposite the school. To get her number, he claims to head up a band and to need her help with the band’s video. One small problem: there is no band and Conor has limited musical ability! Conor quickly makes friends with fellow school mate & budding entrepreneur Darren (Ben Carolan) to help him gather a group of outcasts from the school in order to haphazardly start, build and maintain a fledgling little group. He gets Darren to be the band’s manager / music video producer as he introduces Conor to Eamon (Mark McKenna), who can not only play multiple instruments but can put Conor’s lyrics to song. After the guys recruit from among their school mates, adding friends Larry (Conor Hamilton) and Gary (Karl Rice), along with Ngig (Percy Chamburuka), the only black kid at Synge Street CBS, and using Brendan’s extensive vinyl collection, goes about creating a band by shooting videos & performing gigs to gain fame and fortune (or at least the girl). Carney‘s direction and his script are sensitive, engaging and fun. The story has a lot going on, but still keeps things simple, and derives its entertainment value from a variety of sources. The drama comes from following the development of the band, the relationship between Conor and Raphina, the relationships within Conor’s house and Conor’s problems at school. There are two interesting and fully realized relationships that make this film click: Connor and the enchanting Raphina, and Connor and his older brother Brendon. Cosmo’s relationship with his brother is bewitching, even though Brendan is Connor’s life mentor and music guru. A college drop-out, Brendon seems to stay in for most of the time, so as to avoid encountering with life. This point may not be so conspicuous at first, but it reveals itself in later parts. Enthusiasm fills him every time he shows Cosmo what good music is. The fruits that Cosmo acquires reminisces Brendan of his teenage years, when he was as talented and successfully. The thin but apparent line between his pathetic current state of being and his brother’s propitious prospect as a reflection of his own past fuels his indignation, although it is depicted that the source of frustration is vented on Connor, little does it mean to incur guilt in Connor, but rather in himself for neglecting the once flourishing years of his life. They are quick to jump on the new world of music videos, and it’s a real hoot to watch Connor emulate the style and fashion of bands such Duran Duran, The Cure, etc. As the main character, Conor’s struggles are relatable, his dreams are understandable and his story is enjoyable. Sure, the film isn’t completely original or realistic, but it’s very effective as a representation of the trials, tribulations and potential triumphs of the teenage years, and offers hope as to what could lie ahead – for those who make the most of those years – and the lessons they produce. “You can never do anything by half,” is Raphina’s heart-felt proclamation.

The key character, besides the protagonist, is of course Raphina. She governs most of Cosmo’s thoughts and therefore his actions. Cosmo’s decision to form a band is a response to his encounter with Raphina. His songs revolve much around Raphina. His wish to impress her is the main determinant of his writing process. It’s also very refreshing to see how music and the band deconstruct and reconstruct the characters. It forges as well as reflects an identity for them. Manifested through the band’s music, the film carefully shows how their influences shift ever so impulsively, a lot like puberty. It’s a coming of age tale all right, sometimes with vibes not unlike a classic John Hughes flick. It is the moments between Connor & Eamon that best exemplifies the film’s central theme. We share with them the 4am feeling of unbounded imaginative bliss as they riff off each other, clean up their chords and rhythms and ask each other the meaning behind the songs they write. Because of Eamon’s father’s vocation as a covers band leader, the band not only has a place to practice but instruments to play which benefits the rest of the players as they develop their sound. It’s fascinating to note that Connor, while a pretty talented lyricist and singer, doesn’t really seem to be in love with the music except as a means to an end instead a way to get the girl. That said, the real message here is that while teenagers often feel like they can’t fix the outside world (parents, teachers, bullies), they can fix themselves by finding a passion in life (the film uses the term vocation). As far as concerns I had only a few major ones but they didn’t detract from the enjoyment of the film. First is that the story moves very quickly in the first 30 minutes or so, and then slows down comparatively for the remainder of the film. And second, it’s a little unrealistic that these kids can write quality songs right out of the blocks. It would have been fun to hear a real stinker when they’re starting out. Director John Carney‘s films communicate using music, and when such a thing is done right in films, it’s extremely powerful and moving. Carney chose to cast unknown and relatively inexperienced actors for the band members, and that choice proved to be effective as well. Debutant Frieda Walsh-Peelo does a fine job and carries the film considerably well for his first acting role. More impressive, is his vocal talent, being a trained opera singer, his broad vocal range is apparent and works really well with the many different songs in the film. Lucy Boynton is stunning and believable as the sure-footed and mysterious Raphina – she really wears the eighties wardrobe well as she fully embodies this role, rather than the other way around. In supporting roles – Aiden Gillen, Maria Doyle Kennedy, Don Wycherley, Kelly Thornton and the rest of the underused band members’ especially Mark McKenna play their parts well. My top acting accolade though goes to Jack Reynor (Transformers: Age of Extinction). Reynor manages to make Brendan into both a reckless, failed dreamer as well as the older brother we all wish we had. By the end of this film you’ll empathize with him even more and that’s not just because it’s well written. On the whole, ‘Sing Street’ is a funny yet a heart-wrenching film with excellent musical numbers & performances.