Review of Sing Street (2016) by Dave S — 17 Dec 2016

From the director of Once and Begin Again comes a third entry in his line of musically themed film projects. I would argue this is the best of the bunch, balancing the intimate nature of Once with the bigger budget of Begin Again to create something that feels the closest to what I might term a true "passion project". Whereas Once seemed to be looking to tell a story from the outside, this story feels like it flows out of the director's own experience, perhaps even borrowing from his own childhood. I have not seen any interviews to this end, but I would be curious to know whether this was actually the case.

It would be near impossible to watch Sing Street without a smile on your face. The story is a sort of coming of age tale of a young 14 year old boy in Ireland who faces a tumoltous home life and the struggles of an inner city school. His love of music creates a middle ground in which he finds an escape from these polarizing ends, a middle ground that also pushes us into the best part of the film, his relationship with his brother Brendan. This relationship is so much fun to watch develop as it probes the depths of this developing bond beyond the music itself. The film is also a love story, as Conor looks to capture the heart of Penny by starting the rock band that he needs to star her in a music video. But it is the brotherly relationship that sits at the forefront.

Which brings me to the second best part of the film, the music. Following a seeming trend in a fascination with everything 80's, the tunes themselves, not to mention the fantastically glorious choreography that moves us between the hopefulness and the hopelessness of Conor's emotional struggle, is immensely catchy and memorable, not to mention toe-tapping and fun.

Sing Street might be about the power of music, but I think even more so it is about the power of creating and creativity in helping us deal with the challenges of life. It might be about self-expression and finding yourself, especially as Conor is coming of age, but even more so it is about the connections that this creating can develop. In a world where the two polarazing social ends of home and school appear repressive and challenging and isolating, it is the healing power of the social relationship and community that he finds in the middle ground.

This is a film that can remind us that we are not alone in our struggles, and do so by helping to put a smile on our face at the same time. One of the best films of 2016.