If I ever find somebody from Ireland who enjoyed his or her Catholic school upbringing, I might just challenge, “what kind of sociopath are you?” Movies have taught me well. Very well. On the other hand– if you’re an Irish kid in Catholic school and want to express your emotion in musical form, you probably don’t lack for targets to rebel against, huh? In fact, I was a little sad to see the Lalor family nested cozily in the endless projects of Dublin didn’t live in abject poverty while near-starving with an unending collection of soot-faced children. Just what kind of cliché you running here, John Carney?
While not destitute, the family Lalor has indeed fallen upon hard times and impressionable teen Conor (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo – that can’t be a real name, can it?) has been pulled from the currently unaffordable Posh Prep and sent to local Hell – the Synge Street Christian Brothers School and Floggery. His shoes aren’t black, and yet he has dared wear them to school, immediately targeting himself as an enemy of all those who wear the collar. “You knew the risks, son.”
After getting dressed down by the brass, Conor enjoys the colorful first day bullying at the fists of his peers. Ah, memories. The day isn’t a total loss, however, as loitering about outside the school is would-be model Raphina (Lucy Boynton). Oh, why does any boy do anything? For a girl, of course. Lord loves a man who can think on his feet, that’s for sure – and having no other “in,” Conor introduces himself and asks Raphina to participate in his band’s rock video. Now all he needs is a band. And a song. And an idea for a video. Easy-peasy.
Unlike the formation of the Swedish teen band in Vi är bäst, Conor actually selects peers with musical talent. Well, some are obviously talented, then they go after the black kid because he’s black and, therefore, certainly knows music. I’m just gonna say it — that’s, ummm, pretty racist. Sing Street is not a perfect film by any stretch of the imagination.
There are two solid relationships in this film – one between Conor and his would-be squeeze Raphina, but the superior is actually between Conor and his elder brother/guru Brendan (Jack Reynor). Brendan is considered
a burnout loafer by his fam, but this a peculiarly complex portrayal of –essentially- Conor’s guardian angel. Among other things, Brendan offers judgement-free music tutelage to guide Conor’s career – hence, Conor becomes something of an Irish chameleon, adopting the tastes, skills and look of the band he’s studying in a given week. His “Cure” look doesn’t go over well at school.
Now, here is my impression of writer/director John Carney’s biography – 2007, wrote & directed Once, a musical story about two lonely people who spend all their time together, write a beautiful love song and fail to fall to fall love. 2013, wrote & directed Begin Again, a musical story about two very pretty lonely people who spend all their time together, write an entire album worth of songs about heartache and, also, fail to fall in love. Hence, when you tell me that John Carney has a new film about a boy starting a band to impress a girl, well, let’s just say I think I can imagine where this is going.
It’s nice to be wrong. Sing Street is my favorite of trio, if for no other reason than Carney directs a liplock moment. About damn time, man.
♪I don’t know Jack
But what I lack
I’ll make up in time
You are something
Sure, I *can* sing
Does this lyric rhyme?
And class may never amount
To more than life spent
I’ll play myself out
Take this idea and write a song
While it’s still new
Do you think she’ll like the part where I
Hint, “I love you?”♫
Rated PG-13, 106 Minutes
D: John Carney
W: John Carney
Genre: Pasting the band together
Type of person most likely to enjoy this film: Anybody whoever started a band for the wrong reasons
Type of person least likely to enjoy this film: Catholic dress code enforcers
♪ Parody inspired by “Falling Slowly”
