Film Discussion - 2016

11I SING STREET I Film Discussion

Sing Street starts out with a teenage boy fiddling with his guitar. He is obviously trying to ignore the sounds of his parents fighting in the other room. The film starts and ends in a storm, literally and figuratively.

As the credit was rolling, I realized the film was without a resolution. There is no answer provided by the end of this movie. But it's not because the story is badly written or told, it's because the story starts out with no question in the first place.

The film may be a story about an awkward teenage boy and his coming of age. It may be about him trying to find his path in a place he felt he doesn't belong. It may be about him finding an escape from the harsh reality of the world beyond his fantastical imagination – doing through music. It may be about a bunch of misfits who form a band and grow passionate about what they do. It may also be about a revolution against fascist order controlled by fastidious religious nuts...

At the end of the day, the film is about youth. This is a movie that wants to capture a moment lost in time. It reeks of 80s nostalgia. Songs from bands like A-ha and Duran Duran blare loud and proud in the background. Some stories and characters are so particular you'd swear writer-director John Carney wrote it out of his own experience. And hence the movie is not about a character who starts out a certain way and by the end of the film learns a lesson, it's much more raw and genuine. It's presenting a time of recklessness and wild confusion – no logic or reason, just romance and music.

With that, the movie works very well. It fulfills the aims listed above. It rides a perfect line between dark ingenuity and sentimental cheesiness. I get the feeling that the film is soaked in the potion of youth. Every frame is energetic; there are colors everywhere; the movie charges at full speed through many plot points with montages and musical sequences. But the film also knows to slow down often, allowing the audience a chance to breathe. The characters have a lot of sit-and-talk session, where us the viewers can just relax and listen.

Just like youth, the movie encompasses the wild, the melancholic and the melodramatic. The script at times presents an almost uncanny portrayal of teenage interaction. Other times, the script is wickedly funny and quirky.

Among the greatest things about Sing Street is its absolutely stellar cast. The actors follow the tone of the movie pretty much perfectly. They all feel genuine and real. There's a younger kid who's supposed to be the band manager. It sounds unrealistic for someone who looks 11 to call himself a manager. This does play in as a joke to earn some chuckles from the audience. But for the most part, we clearly believe him as a manager. The characters are weird misfit – one is an amazing musician who can play "every instrument in the world" and has a rabbit fetish. This never goes over the top. Because we know the characters have been written not as a punchline but as real people.

These characters naturally inhibit the story. Not all of them play a part in propelling the plot, sure, but it wouldn't be too realistic if all of them do. Since the focus of the story is on our main character and how he deals with his inability to fit in as well as problems at home, that's where the story remains most of the time. Movies like these don't usually have this much of a focus, but this film always walks the straight path. There is no side plot, no unnecessary moment. Every part of the movie seems to be written and selected to present a certain part of the character's emotion. I think this sense of precision in direction is what is sort-of lacking with Me Before You (which I stand by is a pretty good film).

John Carney uses music to tell his story. The band that was formed in the movie writes many great songs. This surprises me, as I really doubt song writing is that easy. But I guess when you have the talent, you have the talent. Each song presents a certain bouquet of emotion our main character is feeling at the time. And they hit surprisingly well. When the song is upbeat, you know the character is feeling that way. When the song is lonely, we feel for the character immediately. And when a song feels revolutionary, you feel the intensity of youth racing through your blood stream.

This is aided by the fact that the movie doesn't shy away from reality. The movie presents reality, usually in a way that is gritty and hard to look at. But it really doesn't take judgments. It's not trying to make any other point beyond presenting the confusion of being a teenage in a crumbling family and a relatively strict school. The best way to make someone accept moments of cheese and fantasy is to of course contrast it with the darker more unsettling moment.

There is a moment in this movie when the boy is being abused really badly that I felt a little icky to be watching it. Other times, you feel really bad for a still pretty young man having to deal with parents who not only do not really love each other but are both unsatisfied with their lives. Because of this the parents are not going to try to make their kids' lives heaven because they themselves are not even ready to be a parent. It is a sad thing to say, and it makes you cheer even more when the boy is able to find a place to belong - a place to escape from all the bullshit he's facing.

One scene in particular uses a juxtaposition of fantasy and reality very well. The scene actually purposefully parodies Back to The Future and with great music, creative visual and smart direction, the film conveys a very complex situation without having to be preachy, pretentious or longwinded.

There is one problem with this film though. It is great, but it's also very specific. The specific quality makes it more genuine but can alienates viewers. If you share a similar trait with our main character, or grew up like him, or like playing music, or were born in the 80s – this movie will likely be for you. If you do not relate to any of those things, I can't say you will relate too much to this movie. Our main character is not a role model - no one in this movie is. It doesn't have an answer or a lesson at the end - it simple captures a moment in the past. Because of that the story can be quite dated. You will only really get into it if you're nostalgic of the era.

I can't necessarily say the movie feels that personal to me, but I cannot deny how well written, directed, acted and composed it is. At the end of the day, Sing Street is still a really good movie.

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The vibe and mood Sing Street gives me after watching the movie reminds me of @charismatize 's books 'We'll all be' and 'We'll all be together'. I enjoyed both books a lot and make sure you guys check them out along with her newer books!