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Trust Weighted
Perfect
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83Trust Points
Wick's Review
Summary - Perfect 5.0
Sing Street is a perfect rock-n-roll movie, set around a band who defies authority, gets popular and wins The Girl. She’s played by Lucy Boynton, who makes an indelible first impression – ruby lips half-parted, cigarette hanging out one side. She turns out to have a tough situation herself, adding to the movie’s depth.
Writer-director John Carney based Sing Street on his experience at Dublin’s Synge Street Catholic high school, giving it a mix of authenticity and yearning. Speaking of Carney, I was lukewarm to Once, his first movie. But he’s bowled me over with this sophomore effort. It unfolds like an ideal music video, full of great songs, a few laughs and plenty of touchstones that ring true to most anyone’s high school experience.
It’s much more than an extended video however. It’s a well wrought film, simply the best of the year so far.
Acting - Really Great 4.5
Ferdia Walsh-Peelo credibly goes from awkward kid to sophisticated rocker over the course of the movie. It’s a remarkable transformation. If he did his own singing, this teen newcomer is a performer of note.
Lucy Boynton is an actress of note and skill, proving it by playing the sexy muse, even though she’s not tremendously sexy, by movie standards.
Family
- Jack Reynor grows in charisma as the disillusioned older brother. He’s especially charismatic in the prom dream scene.
- Aidan Gillen makes a cutting impression as a father down on his luck.
- Maria Doyle Kennedy does the same as his soon-to-be ex-wife.
- Kelly Thornton is less striking as their other child.
Sing Street
- Ben Carolan is charming as a little guy who finds success managing a high school band.
- Mark McKenna has a John Lennon vibe as the band’s main musical talent.
- Percy Chamburuka • Conor Hamilton • Karl Rice • Ian Kenny
Others
- Don Wycherley effectively plays a hard-ass priest.
- Lydia McGuinness effectively goes from exasperated to sexy as one of the bandmate’s mom.
Male Stars - Really Great 4.5
Female Stars - Really Great 4.5
Female Costars - Really Great 4.5
Male Costars - Really Great 4.5
Film - Perfect 5.0
John Carney has created a trifecta: a perfect high school, rock-n-roll and 80s film.
The rough and tumble scenes in the boys high school are especially well drawn, a Lord of the Flies environment where toughness and conformity are required to get by. The family drama also strikes a chord, from a middle-class family tightening its belt, to an orphan making her way in the world, to a bully living with alcoholic parents in the projects.
But it is the wonder of musical creation that most distinguishes Sing Street. Starting with a “Hey kids, let’s start a band” moment, it provides an omniscient look at how a band comes together and how songs go from ideas to their full flowering.
Direction - Perfect 5.0
Dialogue - Perfect 5.0
Music - Perfect 5.0
The perfect soundtrack includes real 80s songs from The Cure, Duran Duran, The Jam, Joe Jackson and Hall & Oates. I could have done without that last, but recognize its relevance. Sing Street's faux-80s songs are notably terrific, especially _Girls, Brown Shoes, Go Now, Up_ and _Drive It Like You Stole It_. Note that some are sang by Sing Street (presumably the actors in the movie) and others by real stars like Adam Levine.Visuals - Perfect 5.0
The pseudo-prom scene is a classic. Pity it's not available as an independent video.Edge - Risqué 2.4
Ascending Edge Pattern: 1.7 on Sex, 2.5 on Violence and a full 3.0 on Rudeness.
Sex Titillating 1.7
Violence Fierce 2.5
Rudeness Profane 3.0
Reality - Glib 1.3
Circumstantial - Glib 1.8
Biological - Natural 1.0
Physical - Natural 1.0
1 Comment
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BrianSez May 8, 2016 5:40PM
Regarding Wick’s Review
I’m definitely going to add this to my to-watch list!