Review of Sing Street (2016) by Saffat S — 19 Sep 2016

Sing Street is the third musically-charged film from writer/director, John Carney, and follows a young, hopeful musician who puts together a band to impress a beautiful girl and discovers that their music can actually change their world for the better.

The film takes place in Dublin, Ireland during the mid-80s, right around the time when the new wave of British rock music was coming out, and centers on the lead character, Cosmo,'s musical education through influences like Duran Duran and The Cure, as well as from his older brother, Brendan - his biggest influence.

I loved the hell out of this film and Carney absolutely nails what it feels like to be in a band and how quickly a small idea can morph into full-fledged gold just by sitting in a room and following the natural progression.

The characters are all wonderfully realized, with the main kids still being in school, trying to do their best impressions of "cool" rockstars, the love interest, Raphina being a fully rounded and complex character, and the movie-stealing performance from Jack Reynor as Brendan who hits every note flawlessly and in one scene almost reduced me to tears! Another HUGE accomplishment this film has is the incredible, original soundtrack with emotionally driven music that really put a smile on my face - you'd be hard-pressed to find a more inspirational film about the creation and power of music.

The film does also tackle some dramatic issues regarding family, tyranny and destiny, with great supporting performances from Maria Doyle Kennedy and Aidan Gillen as Cosmo's struggling parents and Don Wycherley as the oppressive principal who constantly clashes with rebellion.

These moments help elevate the film with a realistic edge, which plays nicely against the slight fantastical elements it has. This has arguably the best and most dynamic ensemble of kid performances I've ever seen, an inspirational and very moving story, and of course, the brilliant music that will lift any spirits who watch it! This is the best coming-of-age film I've seen in years and it absolutely perfects what it feels like to be youthful and on top of the world!