Flora and Son (2023) Review!!

Synopsis – It follows Flora, a single mom who is at war with her son, Max. Trying to find a hobby for Max, she rescues a guitar from a dumpster and finds that one person’s trash can be a family’s salvation.

My Take – Do you know what the biggest common factor between Once (2007), Begin Again (2013), and Sing Street (2016) is? Other than the fact that they are all excellent slice-of-life musical dramas? They are all written and directed by John Carney, who specializes in using music as a connective tissue between his characters, who would otherwise struggle to click together.

Simply told, if you’ve seen a Carney feature before, you’ll know what to expect from his latest too, Apple TV+‘s latest original film, which delivers more of the same music-based crowd-pleasing warmth and charm, a formula the Irish filmmaker seems to have perfected.

The film’s openhearted nature is fueled by Carney‘s sincere emotion in film-making and songwriting, with the original songs co-written by Scottish musician Gary Clark and its performances, particularly that of Eve Hewson, daughter of Bono, the lead vocalist of the rock band U2, who is finally getting the recognition and breakout she deserves.

Yes, some of the plot towards the end seems a little far-fetched, yet with its elements of whimsy, romance, social realism, comedy and eclectic music thrown in along the way, it makes for an enjoyable and life affirming film that is not only one of the better releases of the year, but also deserves a wide audience.

Set in Dublin, the story follows Flora (Eve Hewson), a frustrated thirty something single mother who is struggling to raise her bitter borderline juvenile delinquent 14-year-old son, Max (Orén Kinlan). Desperately wanting to find a spark of happiness for herself, and somewhere even hoping to win back her ex, Ian (Jack Reynor), a struggling musician who has moved on and found Flora’s replacement.

Flora was only 17 when she became a parent, and though she’s far from perfect as a mom, she knows in her heart that she wants a better life for her son and herself. And since Max is regularly in trouble with the police and on his final warning, Flora attempts to find him a hobby in form of a beat-up acoustic guitar to hopefully set him straight.

Unfortunately, he shows zero interest, instead he prefers creating computer-generated hip hop music via software and hardware, mostly in hopes of getting a particular girl’s attention. However, given that she has some free time on her hands, Flora begins online guitar lessons via Zoom with Jeff (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a Los Angeles-based washed-up musician, pursuing the goal of learning guitar and writing a song she will eventually sing at the local pub’s talent show.

You won’t win any prizes for guessing where the film ends up, nonetheless, the pleasant little film is treat. The film isn’t big on promises or plot points. The realist that director Carney is, his focus is on building characters and scenes instead.

Generally, a film with its main relationship over a computer may sound dull, but director Carney finds ways of sprinkling magical realism into Flora and Jeff’s scenes to bring them to life. After a couple of virtual interactions, he feels confident enough to put Flora and Jeff in the same physical space.

During a particularly emotional Zoom lesson, the camera pans over to the side, and we see him sitting across the table from her. But crucially, it’s always Jeff who manifests inside Flora’s apartment, or, on one memorable occasion, on her rooftop; there’s a reason why she isn’t magically transported to California.

It is also important to note how the film represents Flora’s journey as a mother. To make ends meet, Flora works odd jobs here and there. She was very young when she gave birth to Max, and in one scene, she lets him know how deeply she resents having him and losing her youth. She goes from someone who does the bare minimum to someone who would go above and beyond for her child, and that is the most defining moment of the film, which puts everything in perspective for us.

A major part of director Carney‘s success is attributed to his catchy and poignant tunes and his latest is no different. This one too explores the power of music and songwriting to transcend geographical and emotional boundaries. Carney explores this theme in his work, allowing Flora to connect with Jeff, an escapist fantasy from her Dublin life.

Sure, the film won’t be for everyone. Its central message of the transformative power of music to bring people together and mend relationships could be seen as cheesy, and director Carney certainly doesn’t shy away from that, especially at the big finale. However, there’s an effortless charm to the performances and writing, and such an easygoing rhythm to the storytelling that it makes the experience impossible to resist.

Eve Hewson particularly crushes her role and is terrific as the no-nonsense, straight-talking, risk-taking, perpetually searching Flora, who keeps going on in circles trying to find ways of getting outside of herself. Joseph Gordon-Levitt does what he does best and sells Jeff’s softness, sensitivity and a lyrical quality.

Jack Reynor is easily funny and annoying at the same time, while Orén Kinlan is fabulous and shares an affecting chemistry with Hewson. On the whole, ‘Flora and Son’ is yet another fabulous feel-good winner from John Carney that is charming and heartfelt throughout.