A terrific nostalgia piece for the 80s, a celebration of music, and a celebration of young love. I usually loathe films that sound like that, but this one is pretty irresistible. A boy puts together a band to impress a girl who he invites to be in his music video (there was no band when asked her). That setup may sound like a rather conventional teen comedy but this 1980s Dublin set story has a heart to it that you rarely get in most teen comedies. It's from writer/director John Carney, creator of the fantastic Amazon anthology series MODERN LOVE and the equally great films BEGIN AGAIN and ONCE. What I love about Carney's work is that he tells stories that manage to feel whimsical yet rawly realistic. His story pitches must sound completely conventional, but his careful balance of realism and movie artifice makes his films feel unique. I also love how music always plays an integral role in all of his films. With a story about a group of kids putting together a band in 1985 offers Carney the perfect opportunity to put some classic 80s tunes on the soundtrack and for the band to create their original songs riffing on everything from Duran Duran to The Cure. Featuring a cast of immensely talented unknown teens (particularly Ferdia Walsh-Peelo as the boy leading the band and Lucy Boynton as the girl he's trying to impress), and with some familiar adult actors (Maria Doyle Kennedy from ORPHAN BLACK and Aidan Gillen from GAME OF THRONES as the boy's mom and dad, and Jack Reynor from MIDSOMMAR and some TRANSFORMERS movie as the "wise" older brother who is full of advice on both girls and music), the cast is utterly perfect. I could not picture anyone else playing any of these parts! SING STREET is a film I defy anyone to not be completely enchanted by. Five stars may be overpraising for this film, but I had a stupid smile on my face throughout the entire movie. Highly recommend!
Review of Sing Street
