15.11.23
Sing Street is more than just a coming-of-age film about ragtag Irish schoolboys, it’s an odyssey through some of the most popular and loved rock bands of the 80s in a unique and reverential way. It beautifully captures both the exhilaration and heartache of youth, with director John Carney showing great direction in allowing the young actors’ infectious camaraderie to form the soul of this movie.
The film is full of excellent music, balancing huge hits from the past and original numbers such as the incredibly catchy ‘Drive It Like You Stole It’. Although performed by professionals, the film gives the impression that the capable young cast performs their songs with the spirit and talent exceeding their years, which they seem to exude. Some silly moments don’t distract from the joy within, such as the emotional yet farfetched ending, and the paedophile priest oddly reappearing as a hero in the lead role Conor’s daydream.
Though the ending ties things up rather improbably, it is an emotionally gratifying one. But there is a touch of sorrow amidst the joy as Sing Street also laments how quickly the fire of youth and creative passion can be extinguished if not nurtured. It playfully revels in the transportive power of music to lift us out of difficult times with nostalgia and catharsis. Yet it also acknowledges the bittersweetness of such moments we gain in our youth and then lose fleetingly with time.
Director John Carney has a knack for getting original songs right just like he did with Once, which seems to be the core strength of his films, and he’s done it yet again here. Sing Street affectionately immerses itself in the spirited musicality of 1980s rock, while meditating on holding onto that creative spark as we age. It’s full of heart and hummable tunes which means I will keep coming back to it again and again.