John Carney, the director you might know for Once, writes and directs this semi-autobiographical story about growing up in an impoverished Irish town on the brink of economic collapse. It's 1985 and people are flocking to England by the boatload in order to find work. Our hero is a young boy named Conor (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo) on the verge of becoming an adult. In the midst of his parent's divorce and a fractured relationship with his two siblings, he is given the news that he is being sent to Synge Street, a school run by religious brothers (in order to cut costs). On top of the difficulty of growing up, Conor now is faced with starting a new life in a boys school.
What would you expect? He is immediately tormented, teased by bullies, scolded by teachers for not being able to afford black shoes. (Brown is still quite sensible). It's a dire situation, and it's only in MTV and his friendship with his older brother Brendan (Jack Reynor) that he is able to find some sort of escape. It's not all dark as Conor meets a young red-headed boy named Darren who has the appearance of a meek boy but understands the way to navigate school without stirring up trouble. They become friends.
The story really begins when Conor sees a girl across the street from school. Her name is Raphina. Ratted hair, blue eye shadow, skinny jeans, she is a spokesperson for all things 80's and Conor is immediately struck by her. Despite bruises from a school fight and a timid shyness, he approaches her and thinks of the first thing he can: that she should be in a music video for their band. Raphina has dreams of becoming a model in London, and this might be a good way to get her foot in the door despite the band manager being all of 14 years old. She gives him her number.
We've seen this type of movie before in which young kids form a rock band out of thin air. So it goes here. Darren knows a fellow classmate named Eamon who's father is in a tribute band. Eamon can play any instrument known to man. A few inquiries later and the band has formed. They decide on being "futurists" in order to create music that doesn't look back, only forward. As little as Conor knows about playing or singing in a band, he has his brother and an extensive collection of rock vinyls to guide the way towards creating 'real' music. Conor's muse? Raphina of course. As the film progresses we hear a collection of the pop songs of the time. Likewise we see an evolution in style of the bandmates. Where at first Conor may have been bullied for coloring his hair or wearing a long trenchcoat, now they have strength in numbers.
On the surface the story is cute, oftentimes predictable, but executed with such skill that it's hard to ignore. The band shoots their first music video in a back alley and it's a brilliant scene that reminded me of growing up, playing with friends and experimenting with filmmaking. They sing an original song called "Riddle of the Model"and wear a hodge-podge of costumes and colors. Not only does the video turn out well according to Conor's brother, but they're also quite skilled at song composition.
Sing Street is a musical in a way that doesn't feel overbearing. We might notice these long sections of musical numbers if the songs weren't so good, and they are very good. Could a small band of 15 year olds write such catchy tunes? I have my doubts, but who cares. The movie works in ideas of hope and success in the face of adversity that you can't help but cheer when things go right. Conor finds out that despite these songs Raphina is still dating an older boy with a car. How could he ever compete? A small romance begins to blossom but it's all leading to a finale in which we know that different goals are already established.
Carney's movie has such a unique attention for human moments, whether it's Conor and Brendan watching their mother enjoy a quiet moment through the front door, or quick cuts to Raphina while Conor thinks of lyrics for his next song. On the surface it's a comedy about a boy falling in love with a girl. In reality is covers a more vast tapestry regarding family and dreaming.
Despite it all, we seem to end on a happy note with Conor and Raphina following their dreams on a trip to London to start a new life. We know they're children, but it's a romantic notion of running away together. It's a fantasy. The final shot shows a small boat following in the wake of a large commercial vessel crossing a stormy sea. It's heading to London. It calls back to ideas that Brendan previously mentioned about growing up as a child before Conor was born. It's a perfect ending that seems to both tie up loose strings and raise an infinite amount of additional questions. It's such a beautiful conclusion to an already incredible story. I didn't want the screen to fade out. I wanted to follow this small boat, bobbing in the water, following in the wake of this large ship, heading into an uncertain future, and continue it on and on...
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