In Dublin, a Group of Dreamers Aspires to Fame

Ferdia Walsh-Peelo (left) and Lucy Boynton in "Sing Street"
Photo Credit: Imdb.com 

Irish film director John Carney is an individual who seems to have an intense love of music, as he has used it in several of his films.  He did so in 2007 with “Once,” and in 2014 with “Begin Again.”  Through this movies, he explores the bonds between people as they work to have their musical talents flourish.  

He brings us his third musical film with the comedy-drama “Sing Street.”  Once again focusing on young musicians, Carney shows his signature blend of drama, humor, romance, and music in one of the best and most deliriously charming movies of the year.

In 1985, 15-year-old Conor Lalor (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo) lives in inner-city Dublin with his older brother (Jack Reynor), his older sister (Kelly Thornton), and his bickering parents (Aidan Gillen and Maria Doyle Kennedy).  Due to finances, Conor’s parents transfer him to a cheaper school, where he gets picked on upon his arrival.  

One day after school, he meets a young girl named Raphina (Lucy Boynton), who dreams of moving to London to become a model.  Instantly attracted to her, Conor asks Raphina if she would like to appear in a music video for his band, and she agrees.  There’s only one problem - he doesn’t have a band.  Conor decides to gather some new friends to form a band, and they soon realize the musical potential they didn't realize they had.

In his acting debut, Ferdia Walsh-Peelo proves to be a young and mature actor who knows how to handle himself as the center of a film.  He’s not a cliched individual who’s trying to succeed with his art, but is a believable character made even more so by the difficulties he must face in order to achieve his dreams.

Lucy Boynton is radiant as the philosophical young woman who catches Conor’s eye.  Boynton has several deep moments, including a scene where she expresses her character’s wise-beyond-her-years view of the young characters’ working-class lives, eventually leading Conor to approach his art and life with a new mentality.  Boynton has a presence that makes the film glow whenever she’s on screen, and she helps to lift the relationship between Raphina and Conor into something more than a typical boyfriend-girlfriend relationship.

As Conor’s older brother, Jack Reynor’s character serves as a sort-of mentor to Conor and educates him on rock.  These are heartfelt scenes between the brothers where they bond over music, and their brotherly arc eventually leads to a pivotal scene where Reynor’s character explains to Conor his past dreams of musicianship.

The film is loaded with songs that you are sure to be playing back in your head, making you wish the band in the movie was an actual group you could see perform live.  Watching the band perform their songs, such as “The Riddle of the Model,” “Drive It Like You Stole It,” “A Beautiful Sea,” and “To Find You,” helps you see the true extent of their talent, making you believe they have what it takes to make it to the big time.  Aside from the original songs, the film also treats us to songs from music legends, such as The Cure, Duran Duran, and Hall & Oates.  With the soundtrack being a blend of the film’s original songs and tunes from real-life performers, this is a winning combination of the characters’ creations and inspirations.

The screenplay by Carney takes a simple coming-of-age, follow-your-dreams story and creates an emotional, witty, and layered film about transcending unfortunate circumstances to find success in doing what you love.  A standout quality of the narrative is how it’s not just focused on the relationship between Conor and Raphina, but also spends time with Conor’s family life, the musical process between him and his bandmates, the tension at school he faces with bullies and his principal, and details concerning Raphina’s background and ambitions.  As a result, we get to know the main characters every bit as well through their everyday experiences as we do through their art.  It’s because of these plot points that we are able to see a full journey of these individuals as they rise from their humble beginnings to potential stardom.

To see “Sing Street” is to experience one of those occasions where you walk out of the theater, and you’re absolutely in love with what you just watched.  Although you will be won over by the movie as a whole, the last five minutes will put a smile on your face that will be impossible to remove because of the endearing nature of the film.

Carney has dealt with fictional stories up until now, so it will be interesting to see him bring a real-life artist’s story to the screen at some point in the future, which is something at which I’m sure he will excel.  Until then, you can have a blissfully entertaining time as you witness Carney pair his exceptional filmmaking with an unbridled passion for music.

Grade: A