Sing Street (2016)
March 7, 2018 10:41 AM - Subscribe
A boy growing up in Dublin during the 1980s escapes his strained family life by starting a band to impress the mysterious girl he likes.
Rotten Tomatoes, 95%: Sing Street is a feel-good musical with huge heart and irresistible optimism, and its charming cast and hummable tunes help to elevate its familiar plotting.
New York Times: The movie understands how enchantment and disappointment go together, like the A and B sides of a single that won’t leave the turntable.
Now Streaming on Netflix.
Official Trailer.
Drive It Like You Stole It official music video. (Spoilers!)
John Carney can previously be found on Fanfare for Begin Again.
Rotten Tomatoes, 95%: Sing Street is a feel-good musical with huge heart and irresistible optimism, and its charming cast and hummable tunes help to elevate its familiar plotting.
New York Times: The movie understands how enchantment and disappointment go together, like the A and B sides of a single that won’t leave the turntable.
Now Streaming on Netflix.
Official Trailer.
Drive It Like You Stole It official music video. (Spoilers!)
John Carney can previously be found on Fanfare for Begin Again.
The young woman in this film is better-written than most and has her own life and shit to deal with, and actually just disappears for a while to take care of it. It's imperfect, especially when our main character decides to become her rescuer, but at least she's an actual character and not a prop. Even then, he doesn't so much save her as go to pursue his own goals and invite her along, as I recall.
The film is mostly worth watching to see the main character go through every single new wave haircut in a single school year.
posted by maxsparber at 12:01 PM on March 7, 2018 [4 favorites]
The film is mostly worth watching to see the main character go through every single new wave haircut in a single school year.
posted by maxsparber at 12:01 PM on March 7, 2018 [4 favorites]
Thanks, maxpsparber! I imagine this is a less-objectionable variation on the trope, but I'm just ready for more movies about girls Doing Things.
posted by lunasol at 12:10 PM on March 7, 2018
posted by lunasol at 12:10 PM on March 7, 2018
Understandably!
posted by maxsparber at 12:13 PM on March 7, 2018
posted by maxsparber at 12:13 PM on March 7, 2018
I'm just ready for more movies about girls Doing Things
Yes, same. There is a Swedish movie in a somewhat similar vein about a trio of girls starting a punk band that you might enjoy, it's called We Are The Best! and it's wonderful (maybe you've seen it, idk).
But since this is a post about Sing Street: I really liked this movie, a whole lot more than I expected given that I am usually bored by coming-of-agey stories centered on boys. It's not a movie that'll set the world on fire but it's warm, it's funny, and the songs are pretty solid (I was sure that one of them would end up nominated for Best Original Song that year). It's good fluff, I find myself recommending it pretty often.
posted by everybody had matching towels at 12:36 PM on March 7, 2018 [5 favorites]
Yes, same. There is a Swedish movie in a somewhat similar vein about a trio of girls starting a punk band that you might enjoy, it's called We Are The Best! and it's wonderful (maybe you've seen it, idk).
But since this is a post about Sing Street: I really liked this movie, a whole lot more than I expected given that I am usually bored by coming-of-agey stories centered on boys. It's not a movie that'll set the world on fire but it's warm, it's funny, and the songs are pretty solid (I was sure that one of them would end up nominated for Best Original Song that year). It's good fluff, I find myself recommending it pretty often.
posted by everybody had matching towels at 12:36 PM on March 7, 2018 [5 favorites]
Oh, hey! And it's a chance to support the Weinstein Company!
posted by Naberius at 12:41 PM on March 7, 2018
posted by Naberius at 12:41 PM on March 7, 2018
I was just about to suggest We Are The Best! as well. The two movies would make a great double feature.
But whatever its flaws in terms of gender balance (and make no mistake, this is definitely a movie taken from a teen boy perspective), I found it refreshingly upbeat and non-cynical about the potential of music to build bridges between people who would otherwise be at odds. Its reality feels very heightened in the sense that there's basically no way a scrappy little high school band would have been producing MTV-quality jams, but it felt like the sort of gentle fantasy that comes with the musical genre.
I first watched it last January when I was still semi-catatonic from the 2016 election results and subsequent inauguration, and it revived my spirits wonderfully during those dark days.
posted by Strange Interlude at 12:44 PM on March 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
But whatever its flaws in terms of gender balance (and make no mistake, this is definitely a movie taken from a teen boy perspective), I found it refreshingly upbeat and non-cynical about the potential of music to build bridges between people who would otherwise be at odds. Its reality feels very heightened in the sense that there's basically no way a scrappy little high school band would have been producing MTV-quality jams, but it felt like the sort of gentle fantasy that comes with the musical genre.
I first watched it last January when I was still semi-catatonic from the 2016 election results and subsequent inauguration, and it revived my spirits wonderfully during those dark days.
posted by Strange Interlude at 12:44 PM on March 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
Yeah, unfortunately I didn't realize the Weinstein connection before I watched and posted this. Bleh.
The plot is pretty simple, and the music is probably too good for goofy boys, but I think I had a smile plastered to my face for the last half of the movie. It was a fun experience.
posted by graventy at 12:45 PM on March 7, 2018
The plot is pretty simple, and the music is probably too good for goofy boys, but I think I had a smile plastered to my face for the last half of the movie. It was a fun experience.
posted by graventy at 12:45 PM on March 7, 2018
Sorry for the thread derail, but thanks for the We Are the Best! rec!
posted by lunasol at 3:15 PM on March 7, 2018
posted by lunasol at 3:15 PM on March 7, 2018
I like this a lot (although yes, Raphina is kind of a MPDG) but I wish it had ended a little stronger. The "Brown Shoes" song felt like a somewhat unearned catharsis (yes, Brother Baxter was a dick about the makeup, but he seemed pretty tolerant of the band and the new wave affectations in general; the masks seemed a bit much) and I'm pretty sure the final scene was the last time anyone saw the main characters alive
posted by prize bull octorok at 8:49 AM on March 8, 2018
posted by prize bull octorok at 8:49 AM on March 8, 2018
Nthing We Are The Best, based on the graphic novel Never Goodnight by Moodyson's wife Coco.
posted by brujita at 9:09 AM on March 8, 2018
posted by brujita at 9:09 AM on March 8, 2018
There is a fanfare thread for We Are The Best! (should've linked it when I mentioned the movie, sorry graventy).
posted by everybody had matching towels at 9:25 AM on March 8, 2018
posted by everybody had matching towels at 9:25 AM on March 8, 2018
Heck no that movie sounds great, and I hadn't heard about it before you mentioned it. Thanks!
posted by graventy at 12:08 PM on March 8, 2018
posted by graventy at 12:08 PM on March 8, 2018
Every time I think of this movie I get the song 'The Riddle of the Model' stuck in my head.
posted by h00py at 6:59 AM on March 12, 2018
posted by h00py at 6:59 AM on March 12, 2018
So are we to think they survive? Watching the ending I get a very ominous feeling that the ferry is a stand in for Charon and they don't make it, but my partner felt differently so now I'm curious.
posted by Carillon at 10:45 PM on June 5, 2021
posted by Carillon at 10:45 PM on June 5, 2021
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Anyway, am I right that this is what this movie is? Or will I be pleasantly surprised?
posted by lunasol at 11:27 AM on March 7, 2018 [1 favorite]