Sing Street

**Spoiler Alert**

Director: John Carney/Starring: Ferdia Walsh-Peelo, Jack Reynor, Lucy Boynton, Mark McKenna, Maria Doyle-Kennedy, Don Wycherley and Aidan Gillen

Director John Carney, who gave us Once and Begin Again, steps behind the camera again for Sing Street; his romantic/drama/musical whose story borrows many elements from the aforementioned films. I hesitate to call the films a trilogy because we can never be certain if more films of this ilk are in the works. Formula is beginning seep into his films. Carney's latest also reminds me of The Commitments; which may be a deliberate allusion. The two films have actress Maria Doyle-Kennedy in common, as well as Glen Hansard; star of Once, though his function in Sing Street is only as a contributing songwriter. Though the film has its charms; offbeat cast, catchy songtrack and romance; it also feels like many movies I've seen many times. It's the kind of movie one might enjoy while being aware of its insubstantiality. It gets the period right but the serious story lurking beneath its misfit appeal is only wafer-deep.

Set in Dublin in the mid-80s', Ireland's economy is stagnant and many Irish are setting off across the water to England, seeking better opportunities. Among the hard hit is the Lalor family, who are forced to reorganize their expenses to make ends meet. One change the family initiates is with their son Conor (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo), who is pulled out of his expensive Jesuit school to attend a public school. But financial hardship isn't the only problem facing the Lalor family, for Conor's parents: Penny (Maria Doyle-Kennedy) and Robert (Aidan Gillen) are weathering a shaky marriage. Conor's older brother Brendan (Jack Reynor), has dropped out of school and lies about the house idly; without prospects and direction.

Conor finds his new school--Synge Street--to be dramatically different from his previous alma mater as bullies tyrannize the halls and a humorless headmaster named Brother Baxter (Don Wycherley) exerts his despotic authority. In Conor's first week of school, he finds he has run afoul of the school's dress code, for which Baxter shows his unyielding firmness.
Conor also finds he is the focus of a bully's wrath, which earns him torments and ultimately a black eye.

As the school year proceeds, Conor notices a girl a few years older than he, watching the boys trudge to school everyday. He summons the courage to speak to her and after some small talk, he learns of her dream to become a model in London. In hopes of becoming acquainted, he asks Raphina (Lucy Boynton) if she would like to be in his band's video. When she responds in a semi-committal way, he sets out to form a band with the help of his new friend Darren (Ben Carolan). Darren and Conor begin recruiting musicians in earnest. The sequence that follows after is lifted wholesale from The Commitments as the recruitment process nets a group of oddballs whose skills betray an acceptable level of competence. A key member is Eamon (Mark McKenna), a be-speckled schoolmate who auditions for Conor by playing a variety of instruments.

The band progresses quickly (probably faster than plausibility should permit) and before long, they come up with a band name--Sing Street--and a video concept to accompany an original song, which brings Raphina into their fold. The band's sound develops, as does Conor's interest in Raphina though his plans suffer a snag when he finds she has a boyfriend. As he becomes more acquainted with her, he discovers Raphina is living in a home for young women. She later explains her situation when she divulges her parent's troubles

As the story progresses, the various narrative threads begin to coalesce. The film begins to explore Conor's relationship with his brother and Brendan's frustration with his failures, which become more acute when Sing Street begins to show promise. The Lalor's divorce creates a residential issue for the family and Conor's relationship suffers a setback when Raphina's modeling foray in London fails.

Sing Street's first gig in the school gym is a modest success; the band firmly establishes its sound. By the final reel, the story's unresolved issue is whether Conor and Raphina will run away to London to pursue their respective dreams.

Though Carney tries to give what is essentially a musical some dramatic heft, the movie lacks the gravitas of Once and the comedic verve of The Commitments. In spite of, the characters are interesting enough to keep one emotionally invested in the story, but barely. As mentioned earlier, the story is a pastiche of better films.

The music does give the story color. The band's original compositions mingle with songs from the period: Inbetween Days, by the Cure, Rio, by Duran Duran and Pop Muzik, M, which give us a sense of the influences and inspirations behind Sing Street's music. I credit Carney for showing us scenes of Conor and Eamon composing; a crucial detail that paints a picture of the boys as complete musicians. Nevertheless, it's difficult to recall most of the songs composed for the film.

Once was a bittersweet story that at times seemed documentary-like. Sing Street is light but maybe too light and too derivative. It really doesn't distance itself enough from The Commitments to claim its own dramatic territory. At least the movie was better than Carney's last film; the unfortunate Begin Again which offered nothing for the ear nor eye. Sing Street doesn't leave one singing, but at least it it isn't a bore.