Review: Sing Street

Directed by: John Carney

Written by: John Carney

Starring: Ferdia Walsh-Peelo, Lucy Boynton, Maria Doyle Kennedy, Aidan Gillen, Jack Reynor

Rating: [5/5]

Striving to reach one’s dream involves taking significant risks. The type of risks that heighten nerves and receive the disapproval of surrounding individuals because of the fear of the likelihood it could all go wrong. Sing Street grounds its dream-seeking story during a difficult period in Ireland and through its endless charm and heart makes for something undeniably special. 

Embattling financial struggles, Conor’s (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo) family moves him to a more affordable school run by Christian brothers. While there, he encounters a rougher crowd, but when he meets Raphina (Lucy Boynton) he decides he must form a band in order to impress her thus creating a stronger bond with his brother Brendan (Jack Raynor). 

Almost feeling like a complete fantasy, the inherent beauty of what transpires in Sing Street lies in the relationships between Conor and the individuals that mean the world to him. We see the good and the bad of them, of course, when we see bullies in the form of students and priests evidently. These relationships deserve their own deep dive but the true heart belongs to Conor and Brendan as two brothers living at home with the impending end of their parent’s marriage. 

As they navigate how this ultimately impacts their life in the future, they seek refuge in music with what it teaches and the magic in creating it. Through all of the noise and nonsense, music binds these two together in its form of rebellion and a vehicle for hope amidst an environment where people flee to England for any promise of gainful employment. This dynamic between them gets at general bonds of brothers or siblings in a more general sense. One where the eldest typically endures the rearing struggles of their parents and paves a path the younger siblings can then follow relatively unscathed. So much emanates from their relationship which makes the finale so impactful. 

Conor’s relationship with Raphina essentially launches the plot of this film as his attempt to impress her makes him seriously go and try to convince others to form a band. His dedication certainly impresses as he does not try to build a sham band to give the appearance but rather an actual group of young musicians brought together with the goal of playing some good music. The romance built between them really hits the mark of adolescent love in how feverish it can get as both of them put up this front of navigating their lives as these seasoned veterans when they’re nothing but 15 and 16-year-olds stuck and looking for a way out. Their push and pull together throughout the narrative allow those sweet moments they share to be absolutely heartwarming. 

The third relationship appears in Conor’s relationship with the actual band, which mostly centers on the very talented Eamon (Mark McKenna). Bult on the foundation of music creation makes McKenna’s fairly straight-faced performance so admirable. Someone who just loves the act of making music meets the aspiration of Conor in being the face of this ragtag band. Through them, we see the process of creating the songs the band plays and it captures their rapport and collaboration so well. Looking at these three relationships gets right at what makes this feature so effective. Everything occurring has such an emotional impact as we reach the third act as we go on this journey with Conor. Whether this payoff appears in a simple hug or momentous decision in their lives you quickly fall head over heels for these characters and become invested in their lives. 

As with any movie centered on the creation of music, you would hope for some memorable songs and this feature certainly provides them in spades. Taking place in the 1980s it certainly takes influences from individuals making splashes in that era and in turn creates so many fun songs including those carrying some eyebrow-raising decisions like “The Riddle of Model.” Everyone has their favorites with “Drive It Like You Stole It” carrying much of the plaudits but as a complete softie “To Find You” without a doubt snatched my heart. A song forsaking destiny and the belief things are meant to be all thrown away when you realize you found the right person for you. It sure is easy to believe in destiny when you fall in love with the right person as Conor experiences. 

Through the utilization of music videos this feature balances between the harsh reality of the real world and the fantastical one in our minds and hearts. This juxtaposition appears in its clearest forms with the “Drive It Like You Stole It” music video. It makes complete sense in all reality with the youthful aspiration of these kids and what they wish their world and life could look like under the right circumstances. That definitely does not signify this will match their reality, but we go on this journey with them regardless as they continue to pull at our heartstrings. 

Serving as my first John Carney feature, it’s quite evident this man knows how to infuse charm into his stories. He brings together a cast of relative unknowns and puts them right into the spotlight giving them such a wonderful platform to display their talents. He transports us back to Ireland in the 1980s to give us this rugged setting and evidently uses some accurate terms that certainly were used back then even if they would not fly today. Carney sets the scene and allows this story to organically pull us in and love the characters he has crafted. 

A small film in its stature but with a huge heart of gold, Sing Street has never left my mind since watching it more than seven years ago. Not only because of the great music, but the beauty of its story and the characters brought into our lives. It elegantly looks at the relationship between these two brothers, while also telling a lovely story centered on the idea of taking risks. For Conor this appears in the way he decides to form this band on a whim, try to win over Raphina, and exactly what the conclusion presents. One of those films anyone with siblings can watch and I dare them not to cry at the central relationship. Truly a one-of-a-kind movie and one I cherish dearly.