Valentine’s Day may be a rather silly holiday, but it is a wonderful excuse to celebrate love and romance in the movies. In that spirit, check back each day leading up to February 14th for a cinematic advent calendar of recommendations presented as mini-reviews.
Day 11: Sing Street (2016)
Dir. John Carney
Ferdia Walsh-Peelo, Jack Reynor
Logline: In 1980s Dublin, a young man is forced to switch schools during a recession and works to define himself through new friendships and music.
Why you should watch: John Carney is no stranger to lyrical and loving filmmaking. His films Once (2007) and Begin Again (2013) are both wonderful slices of romance centered around musical protagonists, and seasoned with that special blend of tender melancholy the Irish have always excelled at. A multi-hyphenate talent who is responsible for writing, directing, and composing music and lyrics on most of his projects, Carney has carved out a lovely corner of the world making unpretentious and heartfelt movies featuring exceptional soundtracks. Sing Street takes these ingredients and refashions them into a period piece, coming-of-age, symphony of sentiment. Focused on awkward yet impassioned Conor (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo) as he seeks to find his place in a community and attract the attention of his unrequited crush, Sing Street pushes him together with a group of other misfits who find their calling through a music.
Sing Street’s backdrop bears similarity to previous entry My Beautiful Launderette (1985) in the sense that it is also smack-dab in the midst of the recession and Thatcherite blight of the 1980s. Of course, the Republic of Ireland setting means we are blissfully divorced from the worst of it, but it remains in the background. In front of it, Conor and his friends live out every adolescent musicians fantasy, helped out from the sage music advice of Conor’s older brother Brendan (Jack Reynor). The band’s songs are eclectic and quite good. “Drive It Like You Stole It” remains on most of my playlists to this day, and even as the set list intentionally reflects a young band hitting their stride, every entry is catchy and wonderfully constructed. Around this centerpiece, Conor’s pining for cool and mature Raphina (Lucy Boynton) plays out with equal bits of adolescent awkwardness and heartwarming cuteness. Sing Street’s not-so-secret-weapon though is Conor’s relationship with Brendan. As an older brother, Carney’s film and the actors’ performances nail the bittersweetness of watching a younger sibling grow into themselves. It’s exceptional
Watch Sing Street, and then go back and watch the rest of Carney’s work. His stories and songs will be stuck in your head the second you hear them.
Where you can watch: Streaming on Tubi and Pluto TV. Rent on Apple, YouTube, and elsewhere.
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Devin McGrath-Conwell holds a B.A. in Film / English from Middlebury College and is currently pursuing an MFA in Screenwriting from Emerson College. His obsessions include all things horror, David Lynch, the darkest of satires, and Billy Joel. Devin’s writing has also appeared in publications such as Filmhounds Magazine, Film Cred, Horror Homeroom, and Cinema Scholars.
