Sing Street (2016) User Reviews (246)

Sing Street is a delightful film that is almost impossible to watch without a smile on your face and tapping of your feet for its outstanding soundtrack.

[shobanchittuprolu · 8/10 · 7 January 2017]

Sing Street (2016): Films about people at school forming bands are well known for being 60% more lovable than any other sort, and this movie is no exception.Sing Street,directed by Irish Film maker John Carney,has already been nominated for 74th Golden Globe Awards but sadly it will lose it to La La Land.If not for La La Land,Sing Street has all the necessary emotions and qualities to win a best musical movie of 2016.Why am I boasting it up before the review?You will see..

Plot:

SING STREET takes us back to 1980s Dublin seen through the eyes of a 14-year-old boy named Conor (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo) who is looking for a break from a home strained by his parents' relationship and money troubles, while trying to adjust to his new inner-city public school where the kids are rough and the teachers are rougher. He finds a glimmer of hope in the mysterious, über-cool and beautiful Raphina (Lucy Boynton), and with the aim of winning her heart he invites her to star in his band's music videos. There's only one problem: he's not part of a band...yet. She agrees, and now Conor must deliver what he's promised and immersing himself in the vibrant rock music trends of the decade, he forms a band with a few lads, and the group pours their heart into writing lyrics and shooting videos.In a sea of opportunities ahead of them, what does the future hold for a love like this?

Plus Points:

1)Music: Sing Street is brilliant mostly because of its music.Much of the original music by the band "Sing Street" was composed by 80s veteran composer Gary Clark,which really gives us some nostalgic 80's rocking music with meaningful lyrics.For every 5 minutes a song always plays and it played a brilliant part in the movie."The Riddle of the Model" is one of the best track from this movie.I loved the other tracks too.

2)Performances: Newcomer Ferdia Walsh-Peelo is outstanding in his role and he surely has a bright future ahead.He surely is a Futurist:)When Conor gives an early Sing Street song called The Riddle of the Model to Raphina, he assures her: "It's not about you. It's about another model I know." Walsh-Peelo delivers the line with just the right mixture of shyness and teenage petulance.The other one I liked in this movie is Mark McKenna who played the role Eamon who has talent to play any kind of instrument.Lucy Boynton is lovely.Especially during the shoot of The Riddle of the Model,her expressions are marvelous.Jack Reynor as Brendon is very good in his role.

3)Screenplay and Direction: Sing Street has the most familiar plot for a musical drama but John Carney successfully made such a beautiful engaging drama with a perfect script.Sing Street is, in fact, a delightful coming-of-age tale that both celebrates young love and laments how quickly the fire of youth can be snuffed out. Director John Carney knows exactly how to mesh storytelling and music into his films.He is the next best after Damien Chazelle in directing a perfect musical picture.A great applause for Carney.

So,Sing Street is a delightful film that is almost impossible to watch without a smile on your face and tapping of your feet for its outstanding soundtrack.One of the best musicals in recent times.

My rating 8/10

Surprisingly delightful

[billntoumos · 9/10 · 26 July 2016]

I didn't expect such a good movie to be honest. The plot sounded interesting but when you watch the movie you get hooked in about 10 minutes. The characters are incredible with their own personality ( i really liked main characters brother , his story was great). The soundtrack was...oh man...it was incredible and a great addition to the movie.

I believe that this is in my top 3 movies of the year so far and that's why everyone should give it a watch. Trust me you will not be disappointed at all. Its an amazing movie for all ages.

Also the acting is great and the 80s of course give the movie a nostalgic and beautiful tone

Against all odds, John Carney does it again

[Jaymay · 9/10 · 16 March 2016]

I'm a huge fan of the movie Once. When I arrived at South By Southwest, and saw that John Carney had directed another movie, I have to say I was a bit skeptical that he could capture the magic of that movie again without the amazing music and raw performances of Glen Hansard.

My fears were unfounded.

SING STREET is a heartfelt, funny and artful coming-of-age movie set in 1985 Dublin. I'm close to an ideal audience member for this film, because I grew up in the 80s myself, a child of the MTV Generation. I count John Hughes' films and the Cameron-Crowe scripted Fast Times At Ridgemont High among the most influential films of my childhood. They are the reason I became a screenwriter, and why I continue to write movies for a teen audience.

Sing Street truly hearkens back to those great teen movies of the 80s. The best stories about teenagers are rooted in pain and isolation, and this is no different - Connor "Cosmo" Lawler comes from an upper middle class family that has fallen on hard times. His parents have constant fights. His older brother Brendan is a college dropout and his sister, the 'smart one,' pretty much keeps to herself. In order for the family to save money, Connor is transferred to the local Catholic boys school, where he's quickly made an outcast and an example by the authoritarian headmaster.

You could say that this is a movie about forming a band. And this genre of story - of artistic awakening - seems to be replayed quite often in British and Irish films like The Commitments, Billy Elliott, The Full Monty, and others. But those movies each had a unique wrinkle, and Sing Street does too. It's the beautifully told story of the way that the inspiration and inception of the best art is rarely an individual act of genius, but rather, the result of a series of interconnected acts of human desire and emotion.

It's the parents who sentence you to a horrible school; the girl who you long for that won't give you the time of day; the other guys who join your band because they're outcasts too... the brother who loves you too much, and is too angry at his own cowardice, to let you settle for less than your best.

There's also a lot of great humor in Sing Street about the fact that you have to try on the styles of your heroes before you find your own confidence. 40-something audiences will definitely get another level of enjoyment out of all the allusions to great 80s bands. The art direction and costumes are done wonderfully in that respect. But I think this movie will work wonderful for today's teenagers as well.

The movie is by turns funny, heart-wrenching, soaring and surprising. And the musical numbers, while not necessarily Oscar winning, like Once, is great. I'm thrilled that a new generation of teenagers will get to experience the release of a movie that's on par with the films I love so much as a kid.

Dream big, and listen to your older brother

[SanFranciscoCinephile · 13 April 2016]

I'm a sucker for movies about musicians, and John Carney has already given us Once (2007) and Begin Again (2013). Now he delights once more with Sing Street, a tale told with humor, drama, and some pretty catchy songs, all set in the backdrop of 1980's Dublin.

Yes, Sing Street is set in the 80's so it undeniably lends itself to comic relief as these schoolboys are forced to navigate through hair, makeup, clothing and music video choices along their artistic journey. We get plenty of laughs as we watch them try to forge an identity and look like bona-fide rock stars in this crazy MTV generation. And for good measure, they insert the obligatory Phil Collins joke in the mix.

There is quite a deal of drama as well. We see bullying in an all-boys school, dysfunctional families, the economic hardships of Ireland in the 80's and young people's wish to break out of societal malaise and seek their fortunes elsewhere. I haven't lived in Ireland but the desire to pack your bags and start over in another place is a universal one. Audiences in every continent can relate to that.

The cast is solid and I was very impressed with the leads, especially Ferdia Walsh-Peelo who plays Connor. He can be charming, kind, insecure but out-of-nowhere gutsy which is an accurate depiction of a blossoming musician. After the first hour I began to be doubtful of the character of Connor's brother Brendan for seeming to be too wise for his age, but by the end of the film it all made sense, and Jack Reynor was a fine choice for that role. Lucy Boynton (Raphine) is great as the love interest and mysterious but troubled muse; she packs an emotional performance and probably looks the most natural in 80's fashion, although she didn't quite convince me as a 16 year-old and it wasn't because of all the excess hair and makeup. On the other hand Mr. Walsh-Peelo (Connor) was only 15 when the movie was shot and he's got that boyish appearance. Finally Mark McKenna (Eamon) has such an uncanny resemblance to Julian Lennon it's scary! But a good actor too.

As far as concerns I had only a few major ones but they didn't detract from the enjoyment of the film. First is that the story moves very quickly in the first 30 minutes or so, then takes the foot off the pedal for the remainder. And second, it's a little unrealistic that these kids can write quality songs right out of the blocks. It would have been fun to hear a real stinker when they're starting out. I'm a musician and believe me, our first attempts are pretty bad. That's true even for the all-time best.

There were a few other minor things but they're not worth mentioning. This is a great story, it got all the laughs, cheers and tears in the right places and I would recommend it to everyone, especially those who want to express themselves through art and aspire to greatness. Dream big, all you adolescents. A big thanks to John Carney et al for reminding us of that and making a quality film.

My Favorite movie of 2016 so far.

[sammyboo21-999-252517 · 10/10 · 9 May 2016]

The movie to beat this summer isn't a superhero movie.Its a movie about a teenager forming a band to try and impress a girl. What a wonderful and beautiful movie this. I was smiling and hugging myself throughout. So light and warm hearted and funny and yet deep and powerful. The Music is amazing even the original songs are fantastic. It is directed by the great John Carney who directed one of my favorite movies about music, Once. This is one of the best coming of age stories I've ever seen. It stands with Say Anything, Stand By ME, Perks of Being a wallflower, The fault in our stars. Please just go watch this movie. Please. I Loved it. ***** out of 5.

The movie you've always wanted if you were a teen in the '80s!

[VLHdelaParra · 10/10 · 16 July 2016]

I'm happy to grade this movie a full blast 10. I was a teenager in 1985 in the last private Catholic Boarding School left in Mexico City. I relate to the strict uniform policy, the angry and imperfect young Catholic brothers still guessing their vocations, the old professors teaching materials for yester years, the canteen food, hiding Walkman radios and sunglasses, talking about bands across the ocean, the girls who wanted to be older and the fashion. This is a happy sad movie, that will keep you tapping and asking why aren't all movies like this. The script is very very smart, the casting couldn't be wiser. Lucy Boynton does an amazing job. The art direction is so precise you can imagine the smell of the flats. The awesome cars. What a great movie!!

Don't miss this!!!

Irresistibly Charming

[bkrauser-81-311064 · 9/10 · 16 May 2016]

There's nothing quite like the creative process. We've all had that feeling; unfolding with all its frenzied excitement, malleable thoughts and brainstorms and inventive problem-solving. Yet creativity isn't just limited to what music you make, what stories you write, what paintings you paint. Flexing the limits of your creativity is almost like a window into your identity. Do you look for the easy fix, do you power through despite mental blocks, do you try the unexpected or bend towards an originality or an universality. So it goes with Sing Street, a movie that expands the notion of creativity itself, making an unabashedly and irresistibly charming film.

Conor Lalor (Walsh-Peelo) and his family live in a charmed dwelling overlooking the urban sprawl of South side Dublin. Due to financial strain, Conor is informed that he's being taken out of his private Jesuit high school and being transferred to a public school nearby. At first, things go miserably. He's hassled by bullies, called names openly in class and harangued by the school's principal Father Baxter (Wycherley). His only solace is watching new wave music videos with his older brother Brendan (Reynor). Things change however with the appearance of the mysterious and strikingly beautiful Raphina (Boynton) who stands on the stoop outside the school. He approaches her and asks her to be in a music video; she agrees. Next step: start a band.

Conor quickly makes friends with a gaggle of outcasts from the school in order to haphazardly start, build and maintain a fledgling little group. Among them is the multi-talented Eamon (McKenna) who can not only play multiple instruments but can put Conor's lyrics to song. It is the moments between these two young artists that best exemplifies the movie's central theme. We share with them the 4am feeling of unbounded imaginative bliss as they riff off each other, clean up their chords and rhythms and ask each other the meaning behind the songs they write. Because of Eamon's father's vocation as a covers band leader, the band not only has a place to practice but instruments to play which benefits the rest of the players as they develop their sound.

Conor uses his band not only for the purpose of wooing the girl but also as a means to escape his increasingly turbulent home life. The marriage between his mother (Doyle Kennedy) and father (Gillen) circles the drain as his dropout brother smokes hash and oozes cynicism and unrealized potential. In one moment of investigation, Brendan points to the mother who sits on the stoop, smoking a cigarette, hoping to catch the last rays of sunshine of the day. With big talk of some day going to Paris, the mother settles on these moments to sulk in bitter reflection. "I cleared a path for you." Brendan says in a moment of defeat. Seems his carefully curated collection of vinyl and his grimacing observations serve as a counterpoint to encourage Conor's brazen dreams.

Yet it's the girl who pushes Conor to the point of unique creative verisimilitude. And as the would-be model that captures the heart of our young hero, Lucy Boynton is an absolute vision. She coyly hints at gigs and glamour in London yet she lives at an all girls boarding house and dates a guy who listens to Genesis. Yet despite outward moments of confident sashaying, behind the makeup and denim there beats the heart of a true romantic and a true creative conduit. "When it comes to art, you never go halfway." she says just after she throws herself into the Irish Sea for the sake of a good video. This moment is immediately followed by Conor responding in kind.

And yes this movie is about a new wave band in the 1980's, so yes there is a lot of hair, makeup, posh scarf wearing and mod style bravado. While today we like to take potshots at the synth-pop aesthetic, there's still something utterly charming about the way it is presented here. Is it nostalgia; probably. Yet there's an unawareness to it, allowing the audience to discover (or re-discover) the trappings of 80's popular music in real time. The excitement Brendan and Conor feel in watching Duran Duran's Rio music video is infectious, and the original songs by the band are easily the best thing about Sing Street.

Conor eventually finds a since of identity within the catchy rhythms of his songs, the jejune charms of Raphina and the kindliness of Brendan's brotherly love. The moments of kitchen sink realism serves not only as a cautionary tale to Conor but to us as well. When we refuse ourselves the rewards of creativity we risk becoming embittered, angry and resentful. In the words of Kurt Vonnegut, "Go into the arts. The arts are not a way to make a living. They are a very human way of making life more bearable. Practicing an art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow." To put it another way, go create something.

Gregory's Commitments

[bob-the-movie-man · 8/10 · 11 May 2016]

Ah, the joy and pain of first love! Young Conor (aka Cosmo, played in his impressive debut by Ferdia Walsh-Peelo) has the smelly end of a shitty stick to deal with while growing up in 1980's Dublin. He has warring parents with the need – for financial reasons - to move Conor from his posh school to 'Singe Street' Catholic school: a decidedly rougher and tougher place, ruled over with a rod of iron by Brother Baxter (Don Wycherley). This is a place of chaos and mayhem, ruled over by bullies of the likes of Barry (a superbly intimidating Ian Kenny).

The 15 year old Conor tries punching above his weight with the lovely 16 year old Raphina (Lucy Boynton) – a struggling wannabe model with "mysterious eyes" who hangs around outside the Woman's Refuge opposite the school. To get her number, he claims to head up a band and to need her help with the band's video. One small problem: there is no band and Conor has limited musical ability! He gathers around him a motley crew of friends, and with the help of his stoner brother (Jack Raynor) and his extensive vinyl collection, goes about creating a band to gain fame and fortune (or at least the girl).

This is a film that works on so many levels. As a piece of nostalgia for us older folks, the sights and sounds of the 80's are brought vividly back to life, with a rocking soundtrack of the likes of Duran Duran and Spandau Ballet to enjoy. And as a coming of age movie, the long lingering looks, embarrassment and discomfort of first-dating is both touching and painful to watch, with the best Rich-Tea fuelled snog ever put on screen! Few films in fact have come this close to depicting this glorious ineptitude since John Gordon Sinclair and Dee Hepburn struggled to get together in Bill Forsyth's "Gregory's Girl" (making me feel ancient, this was actually set in 1981!).

It should be noted that at one point the film also models the casual racism prevalent at the time, with perhaps only the addition of a rebuking "You can't say things like that" striking a less realistic note.

This is a film where nearly everyone is damaged in one way or another – drugs; hopeless ambition; child abuse; paedophilia, alcoholism; bullying; (the list goes on). However, the hugely intelligent script by writer and director John Carney drips the issues out in such tiny insinuations and snippets of conversation that it feels lifelike: not as if the film-maker is beating you over the head with it. This is just a poor Dublin life in the 80's: get on with it.

All of this might make you think this is a hugely depressing, kitchen-sink type of drama that will leave you, at the end of the evening, in dire need of a box-set of "Father Ted" to cheer you up. Nothing could be further from the truth. In the same way as the music in Alan Parker's 1991 Dublin-set classic "The Commitments" - and indeed 2013's excellent Belfast-based "Good Vibrations" - lifted the spirits, so the drive and energy of the soundtrack makes the film a hugely uplifting experience. Besides the classic 80's stuff there are some really great original songs (co-written by the multi- talented John Carney, with Gary Clark): I was still humming "Drive It Like You Stole It" in the car park.

The young cast throw themselves into the job with great energy, with Walsh-Peelo and Boynton delivering touching and impressive performances and Mark McKenna particularly worthy of note channeling a young John Lennon. My top acting accolade though goes to Jack Raynor (who was until recently rumoured to be in the running for the role of the young Han Solo: a role that's now just gone to "Hail Caesar's" Alden Ehrenreich). Playing Conor's older and wiser brother, his frustration at his role in life boils over in a vinyl- smashing and hugely impressive rant that I would like to see credited with a Best Supporting Actor award. And amid all of the teenage love and band efforts, it is this aspect of brotherly love that eventually shines out as the beating heart of the film.

The film is a little rough at the edges – a dream sequence looks like it could have had a few more dollars thrown at it - but this often adds to the charm. John Carney seems to have quite an Indie following, but I'm not familiar with his other work. This film left me wanting to dig into his archives. It left my wife gushing with tears from beginning to end! A must see film.

(I loved it - did you? Please visit http://bob-the-movie-man.com for the graphical version of this review and to provide any feedback in the comments section.)

A nice nostalgia tour, but a little too much style over substance

[themadmovieman · 7/10 · 20 May 2016]

This is a nice film. It's a coming of age tale with heart, it's got a great soundtrack, and some pretty good performances. However, rather than telling a properly compelling story, Sing Street often feels a little too preoccupied with portraying its time period. It undoubtedly paints a picture of mid-80s pop culture very well, but that's at the expense of a genuinely engrossing story, making this seem like a little too much style over substance.

Directed and written by John Carney, who also made Once (which I didn't like) and Begin Again (which I loved), Sing Street is a bit of a middling film of his. As we've seen in his other films, there's always a real passion for making music, and how it can bring people together, and that does feature once again here.

Time and time again, we get some great original songs mixed with classics of the 80s, and that's one of the things that makes this an enjoyable watch. It's a toe-tapper of a film, and, particularly if you have a strong nostalgia for the time period, you'll love seeing it portrayed on screen so well.

However, unlike Begin Again, which weaved that music in with an engrossing and emotional story, Sing Street suffers from a very thin story, and pretty plain characters, which means that it's never as emotionally resonant as it needs to, and clearly wants to be.

There were numerous moments where the story takes a step back from the fun of making a band and singing songs, and tries to look at the various problems in the characters' lives in order to get you to connect with them more. However, seeing as none of the characters really stand out from one another, and all just feel like very generic coming-of-age movie teenagers, it was a lot harder for me to care about whatever was happening in their personal lives, which meant that any time when the film tried to be more emotional, it really fell flat.

And this is where I'm going to bring in a comparison to The Commitments, which was clearly a big influence on this film. They both have great music, and they've both got a great sense of fun about them, but the major difference is the characters. In The Commitments, the varied personalities gave the film a great dynamic, and also meant that you could care about each individual person on screen, whereas in Sing Street, considering that we don't have that, it loses a huge amount of its power, and makes the majority of the story feel very thin.

The characters may be thin, and that does impact on your interest, but the performances are still very good. Although they may not have so much to do, young actors including Ferdia Walsh-Peelo, Jack Reynor and especially Lucy Boynton really do shine, and do very well to keep you entertained and engaged by what is in truth a bit of an average and generic story.

Overall, I liked Sing Street. It's a pleasant, fun and musical coming-of-age movie which brilliantly portrays its time period and features some strong performances. Its story, however, feels very thin, and that means that it's never as emotionally effective or interesting as it should have been.

"Sing Street" is music to the ears - and the heart.

[dave-mcclain · 8/10 · 8 May 2016]

Few (if any) of us were who we wanted to be when we were in high school. While high school girls often think they're not pretty enough or popular enough, boys fear they're not cool enough or tough enough. Of course, these are only a few of the characteristics that teens in high school – both boys and girls believe they lack. The point is, during adolescence, all kids think that they're not "enough"… of something. Well, I say "enough already" – and so does Irish writer-director John Carney, through his music-oriented comedy-drama "Sing Street" (PG-13, 1:46). This is a film that shows us it's okay to be insecure and sad sometimes, but you can also learn to be happy during those times and even to rise above them. "Happy-Sad" the film calls it. I call the film insightful, encouraging and entertaining.

Conor Lalor (Ferdia Walsh Peelo) is, in many ways, a typical 15-year-old. He goes to school, where he has both friends and enemies. He has family members who love him, but also add challenges to his life. And, of course, he wants to earn the affections of someone special who has caught his eye. The details of the framework of Conor's life may differ from yours (as well as his gender, interests, location and even time period), but he should be easy to relate to – for anyone who attended (or is now attending) high school.

As for Conor, he lives in Dublin, Ireland in 1985. He has a brother (six years older) named Brendan (Jack Raynor), who is out of school but still lives at home, and a younger sister named Ann (Kelly Thornton). Their parents (Aidan Gillen and Maria Doyle Kennedy) argue – loudly – about money, their kids, their marriage, etc. Conor has the experience of changing schools, starting at Synge Street Christian Brothers School, where, as the new kid, he quickly runs afoul of the principal (Don Wycherly) and the school bully (Ian Kelly). However, Conor soon makes a friend named Darren (Ben Carolan) and is quite taken by a mysterious girl named Raphina (Lucy Boynton) who lives across the street from the school.

As a way of getting to know Raphina, Conor asks her to be in a music video for his band. She agrees, so now all Conor has to do is… start a band! He gets Darren to be the band's manager – slash – music video producer. Darren introduces Conor to Eamon (Mark McKenna), who is skilled at a variety of instruments. After the guys recruit from among their school mates, adding friends Larry (Conor Hamilton) and Gary (Karl Rice), along with Ngig (Percy Chamburuka), the only black kid at Synge Street CBS, they choose "Sing Street" as the name of their band, and start working on their band's musical and visual identity.

Heavily influenced by early-mid 1980s acts like The Cure, Joe Jackson and Hall & Oates (whose songs appear in the soundtrack), Sing Street works up a cover of Duran Duran's "Rio" and then Conor and Eamon start writing original songs together. Brendan makes use of his misspent youth to school his younger brother in the finer points of modern music and encourages Conor to stretch musically. Soon, Raphina becomes Conor's muse and a regular in Sing Street's videos. Raphina and Conor also grow closer, in spite of her "it's complicated" relationship status and her plan to move to London to model.

"Sing Street" features a whole lot of talent – on both sides of the camera – and the microphone. Carney's direction and his script are sensitive, engaging and fun. The story has a lot going on, but still keeps things simple, and derives its entertainment value from a variety of sources. The drama comes from following the development of the band, the relationship between Conor and Raphina, the relationships within Conor's house and Conor's problems at school. The comedy comes from the behavior of the film's colorful characters and the natural awkwardness of teenagers discovering life.

Carney says the film is "wish fulfillment of all of the things I wanted when I was the age of the character and didn't do." To portray a fictionalized version of his own adolescence, he cast unknown, but talented actors – with terrific results. Raynor creates an interesting and passionate character, who is dealing with the fear that life is passing him by. For their part, Walsh-Peelo and McKenna, besides being fine young actors, are talented musicians in real life – all the better to perform the film's excellent original songs.

As the main character, Conor's struggles are relatable, his dreams are understandable and his story is enjoyable. The film isn't completely original or realistic, but it's very effective as a representation of the trials, tribulations and potential triumphs of the teenage years, and offers hope as to what could lie ahead – for those who make the most of those years – and the lessons they produce. "You can never do anything by half," is one character's heart-felt proclamation. "Sing Street" continually speaks to the heart – through its comedy, its drama and its wonderful music – and doesn't do it by half. "A-"

From an American POV

[nafps · 7/10 · 18 September 2021]

Americans know just a few Irish films like Commitments and series like Derry Girls. This has that same relatable story of young people finding their way.

The fictional band Sing Street itself has pretty good songs. They were charming, kind of Icicle Works or Modern English sounding.

The film actually starts off by teasing us with Motorhead and Clash songs, and with a skinhead kid as bully who then becomes a friend. You find yourself expecting the kids to form a Stiff Little Fingers type band.

Then some of the soundtrack almost wrecks it. Who they use as inspiration is laughable. Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet, and Hall and Oates? It's the worst of the 80s, when almost literally every other band was so much better.

Joy Division/New Order. Bauhaus. Yaz/Alison Moyet. Tears for Fears. Echo and the Bunnymen. Siouxsie and the Banshees. The Fixx. Early U2. Big Country. The Alarm. Even the Smiths, though their singer became a whiny hateful bigot.

Any of these would be better or more believable choices. Siouxsie and Bauhaus each inspired hundreds of imitators and millions of teens worldwide. Duran2 inspired exactly zero people. That part of the story was clueless.

And they seriously expect us to buy a longhaired headbanger older brother who praises Duran or Spandau? I remember touring 80s rock acts back then who mocked the new romantics, and the audiences cheering their mockery. IRL a headbanger would sneer at them, even pick fights.

In the US, Spandau were one hit one wonders, widely mocked because of their pretentious clothes and sappy ballad as cheesy Sinatra wannabes. Duran were pretty boys posing as musicians, and loved/lusted after only by 12-14 year old girls. HO did "blue eyed soul" in the 70s. That means they were very weak white imitators compared to genuine soul like Sam Cooke or Aretha. Then they did irritating jingles passing as pop songs in the early 80s before their career took a nosedive around 1985.

It's still well worth watching, even if you will find yourself fast forwarding past the bad soundtrack choices to hear the better songs. A good story almost ruined by a third of the soundtrack being awful. Sing Street though, is a band you'll listen to.

ETA: I'm glad of the strong reactions to my review. The downvotes are amusing, that some bad 80s pop fans are so fragile. I like the higher than I expected number of up votes. Good to know some others feel the same.

Carney is now 3 and O

[somf · 9/10 · 22 March 2016]

I was a fan of Carney's band the Frames, and was delighted to see his first low budget film , "Once"

His second wonderful film had a much bigger budget and well know cast, but still a small film. I just loved, "Begin Again" with Mark Ruffalo, Adam Levine, and Kiera Knightly.

He goes back to his roots with Sing Street and it is simply a joyful experience. It started off a bit slow for me. But as the band that is the focal point of the film hones their skills and improves so does this wonderful story. I just can't say enough about how great the two leads were in this film Ferdia Walsh-Peelo plays the male lead Conor, and Lucy Boynton as Raphina were just wonderful. It is a great film to watch if you are having trouble getting your smile on.

As an American I had a little trouble at times with the thick Irish accents. When I watch the CD I may have to stick the subtitles on.I wish the film had a bit of a bigger budget in the sense that it looks like it was made on a tiny budget and musicals are much better when the sound is powerful. But that is just quibbling. Go see this in the theaters, if for nothing else to make sure Carney gets money to keep making films.

Good music and setting, but lacks in story

[minab-99124 · 6/10 · 7 August 2016]

I wanted to enjoy Sing Street - what's not to love about a story of a teenage band in the era of some of the best British music? Unfortunately, the overall story disappoints, with a shambling plot, underdeveloped characters and a confusing ending.

Mainly it suffers from trying to be too many things at once. Sing Street has elements of kid-vs- bully, kid-vs-bully-teacher, punk-kid-vs-society, kid-vs-parents, kid-trying-to-get-the-girl . . . And then the film surprises us almost at the end by revealing itself as more of a big-brother-mentor story. Too many threads, too many messages. It would have been much better for the subplots to remain in the sideline. That's the magic of film - some small suggestions of the parents' divorce, for example, would have set the scene fine without having to show us everything. If the story had just focused on the one journey of the kid trying to woo the girl, it would have been far more successful. It felt like there was too much unnecessary drama, and too little lighthearted musical fun.

As for the characters, the main kid's motivation wasn't convincing. He suddenly decides to start a band with some people he doesn't know, just to impress the girl? And all he knows about pop music is what his brother told him the night before, which he parrots to his new-found friends. If he was a true music lover from the start, perhaps his character would have been more likable and relatable. The other characters are mere cardboard cutouts. Teenage characters can be really cool and convincing, like the hilarious gang in JJ Abram's 'Super 8', but Sing Street's teens had no personality at all. You don't even find out the love interest's name til halfway through, and although she's supposed to be mysterious, it ends up taking away from the character.

The ending of Sing Street was unconvincing as well. What, these two fifteen-year-olds are just going to drive a little boat all the way from Dublin to England? This kid who never showed an interest in music at the start of the film is going to try forge a career as a singer/songwriter in London? Sorry, but it was totally unsatisfying. It should have ended with them running away into the night with the city lights behind them, just as the love interest alluded to earlier.

There are some cool songs in here, except the finale song wasn't quite as awesome and climactic as some of the others. It was cool to see and recognise bands and stuff from that era, and I guess the film was entertaining. I recommend skipping the intense, uncomfortable drama and just watching the "Riddle of the Model" music video scene on YouTube instead.

slight, only mildly interesting

[neallburger · 3/10 · 9 December 2016]

The movie starts with some promise: Irish boy with difficult home life in new school starts a band. This is the same story line, done with much more intelligence and verve, as the film The Commitments. The dialogue here is boring and silly, the acting amateurish, and the ending ridiculous. The music is OK, if you can believe a group of kids get together and a week later are playing original songs. Except for the lead, none of the characters has any depth. The director/writer never develops the personalities in the band or shows how they work together. The band starts because they want to make a music video, and the whole movie is like a music video: lots of staging and no believable backstory.

The Feel-Good Irish Movie Of The Year

[CinemaClown · 6 January 2017]

A beautifully balanced, sensibly narrated & splendidly performed indie covering the highs & lows of teenage life while demonstrating the magic of creating music with all the romance of the art in tact Sing Street is a heartfelt ode to the carefree, joyous days of growing up and with its subtle touch of melancholy & hummable soundtrack, delivers an experience that's delightfully captivating.

Set in Dublin, Ireland during the 1980s, Sing Street tells the story of a young kid who is looking for an escape from all his troubles at home where his family is on the verge of falling apart, and at his new school where students & teachers are quite rough. His window of opportunity arrives when, in an attempt to impress a girl, he invites her to star in his band's music videos despite not being a part of one.

Written & directed by John Carney, the movie packs just the right amount of heart, fun, nostalgia, heartaches & optimism and also benefits from the interesting set of characters the writer-director brings to life. The events progress in smooth, effective manner from start to finish while the songs are expertly placed at just the right moments to exquisitely capture the underlying context of the emotions on surface.

Production design team does well to nicely capture the period details of the timeline its plot is set in. Cinematography encapsulates the entire feature with an overcast ambiance with warm & cold colours utilised as per the scene requirements. Editing provides a steady pace to its 105 minutes narrative with each scene only taking the story forward while songs are composed from scratch and have an infectious quality to them.

Coming to the performances, Sing Street features a relatively unknown but incredibly committed cast in Ferdia Walsh-Peelo, Lucy Boynton, Mark McKenna, Jack Raynor, Aidan Gillen & Maria Doyle Kennedy and everyone does an excellent job with what they are given. Walsh-Peelo in particular is a standout and shares brilliant chemistry with both Boynton & McKenna while Raynor pretty much steals the show in every scene he appears in.

On an overall scale, Sing Street is the feel-good movie of the year that's euphonic in both happy & sad moments and manages to incorporate a mix of both with amazing comfort. A healthy dose of entertainment that treads the fine line between wishful fantasy & cold reality that promises plenty of laughs & hints of tears, this bittersweet coming-of-age musical comedy hits the right chords at the right time throughout its runtime and is one of the best films of 2016. Definitely recommended.

London Calling

[ferguson-6 · 8/10 · 20 April 2016]

Greetings again from the darkness. The vast majority of 1980's music usually inspires nothing but groans and an immediate change of the radio channel from me. Yet writer/director John Carney masterfully captured and held my attention with this crowd-pleasing story that leans heavily on the tunes from that era.

Mr. Carney was also responsible for two previous music-centric movies, Once (2007) and Begin Again (2013). He is an exceptional story teller who puts music at the center, but avoids the label of "musical" by making it about people, rather than notes.

It's 1985 in economically depressed Dublin, and a strong opening sequence introduces us to Connor (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo) as his ever-arguing parents (Aidan Gillen, Maria Doyle Kennedy) inform him of the economic necessity of pulling him out of prep school and enrolling him into a much tougher environment … one that comes with bullies and hard-nosed teachers/clergy.

Soon enough Connor is hanging with the misfits and inviting an enchanting "older" girl to star in his band's video. She agrees, and wide-eyed Connor quickly sets out to form a band that didn't previously exist.

There are two interesting and fully realized relationships that make this movie click: Connor and the enchanting Raphina (Lucy Boynton), and Connor and his older brother Brendon (Jack Reynor). Brendan is Connor's life mentor and music guru. They are quick to jump on the new world of music videos, and it's a real hoot to watch Connor emulate the style and fashion of Duran, Duran, The Cure, etc.

It's fascinating to note that Connor, while a pretty talented lyricist and singer, doesn't really seem to be in love with the music except as a means to an end … a way to get the girl. That said, the real message here is that while teenagers often feel like they can't fix the outside world (parents, teachers, bullies), they can fix themselves by finding a passion in life (the movie uses the term vocation).

It's hard not to notice the influence of such filmmakers as John Hughes and Cameron Crowe, and Carney certainly brings his touch of romanticism. Plus, one must appreciate any movie that delivers an original song as catchy as "Drive it like you Stole it", while also taking a shot at Phil Collins. It's a funny and sweet movie that should really catch on through positive word of mouth.

Brilliant

[studioAT · 10/10 · 31 August 2016]

Sometimes a film sneaks up on you and is so enjoyable, so feel good that you forget everything else that's going on in your life and just enjoy it.

For me that's what 'Sing Street' did. I'd seen and enjoyed Carney's film 'Once' and loved the music but disliked his other film 'Begin Again'. 'Sing Street' though is on another level.

It's got a great story, the characters are identifiable, and each of the songs sticks in your head.

Whereas 'Begin Again' seemed to get bogged down by bad language and ex references, here Carney goes back to the basics of 'Once' - characters, stories and music. It's a perfect combination.

I cannot recommend this film highly enough. As the final song says, go on.

A Heartwarming Film that is Ridiculous Fun,

[lesleyharris30 · 9/10 · 11 June 2017]

Sing Street is an outstanding movie with a very well developed plot and a stellar cast. It is a real feel good, sweet movie that is a pure delight for anyone familiar with the eighties, the setting and atmosphere makes it convey very clear that we are in a very different time in Ireland. The original songs are magnificent, each one being annoyingly catchy and serving the plot very well. It is immensely funny, but also stands out in more dramatic moments that are mildly tense, and very real.

The only aspect of the film that I did not particularly appreciate was the parents plot line. It was clearly trying to add an extra layer of difficulty to Conor's life, but it failed to grab me in any way. I did not care for his two dimensional mother and father, nor did I have any interest on seeing how their relationship pans out.

The strongest part of the movie has to be Conor and Brendan's special brotherly bond, it is sweet, pure and I think any pair of brothers can relate to it. With the teasing that goes on between them, as well as the sincere care they both have for one another, the ending brought a tear to my eye as a result of how powerful Ferdia Walsh-Peelo and Jack Reynor's relationship was.

It made me experience many different emotions throughout, which is what the best movies do. Funny, heartwarming and wildly entertaining, Sing Street is worth the watch for anyone who is looking for a good comedy or music film.

A young boy starts a band in order to get an older girls attention.

Best Performance: Jack Reynor

Possibility. Your own path. Risk being ridiculed. "Happy sad".

[mago4 · 10/10 · 27 May 2016]

It's a few days before the end of May, 2016, and the year in film might already be over as far as I'm concerned. It did not seem that way to me after the first time I saw this film - the "Mary Sue"-ism of the band's progress in quality, the strange appearance of a 1987 song in a 1985-set film (Starship's track at the party towards the end - from the movie 'Mannequin'), me asking myself which characters were responsible for editing the music video for 'Riddle of the Model' so decently / well?, and a couple more quibbles. These minor details became less important by the second viewing, and completely unimportant by the third and fourth viewings. They were replaced by: the girl that inspires your work, the work that allows you to ignore your current circumstances, the "adults", however few they may be, that actually notice what you're doing and encourage you / help you / are happily there for you, the friends you make as a result of putting yourself "out there", the joy of coming up with new material, "who are you, Steely Dan?", the fantastic storyline with Barry - the 'bully' who is incorporated into the group as the roadie with M's "Pop Musik" playing in the background, Brendan and Raphina meeting towards the end of the film, Eamon's mother (hahah), Flash and the Pan's "Waiting for a Train", The Cure on a film soundtrack, "Depech-E Mode", cookies between kisses, and Raphina... and Brendan. When even Adam Levine works perfectly for the film's ending, you know things are clicking.

On a side note: my profile has my location as San Juan, Puerto Rico, but I did not see this film there... since it has not been shown there, and I unfortunately would not be surprised if it ended up not showing there at all before home video (hope I'm wrong).

On a second side note: while in early high school, we tried to make a music video to compete in MTV's make-a-video contest for Madonna's track 'True Blue'... and failed impressively. Hence my immediately noticing the editing in 'RotM' :)

Gets worse the more you think about it

[sivadparks-89786 · 6/10 · 28 January 2017]

I want to explain my rating system. I usually consider a 9 an A 8 a B, etc BUT adjust base off how overrated a movie is. I initially gave this a 9 but had to change it seeing the ridiculous praise.

Again, I stress it's perfectly good and you should see it BUT Sing Street is really overrated. It's one of those I enjoyed but you realize flaws in retrospect.

The movie is a thematic mess. It's about "living the dream" (and is really one the nose with it) but fails to explore it (especially since La La Land did it way better). Instead of being about him doing the band because he enjoys it, he does it entirely for Raphina completely undercutting its main theme. He is set up as a music prodigy but his brother and friend end up knowing way more and are more deserving of living the dream. Then, he intentionally stops trying in school, fails and is okay with it. This is such an insult to real musicians who go to school to learn the nature of music OR at least have SOME talent!!

Possible spoiler: Then the end is even more ridiculous. He runs away with Raphina to England. It works as feel good but makes no sense: how will he pay? where will he stay? how does he plan on getting accepted anywhere with no talent? what happens when he and Raphina go through a high school break up like EVERY other high school? what will he tell his parents?

This movie is a ridiculous, overrated movie that is perfectly okay.

John Carney's highly entertaining and youthfully vibrant, Sing Street will be the most delightful riot of eighties-reminiscent nostalgia you never thought you needed.

[itsJennayy · 8/10 · 13 March 2016]

Following Carney's stunning hit Once, his attempt at 2013′s Begin Again, although (at first glance) full of indie music-lover potential, never quite felt like it understood what you wanted it to be. Since re-watching Begin Again, hoping to find some reasoning behind this, it became apparent that the film never finds its own voice or identity, like Once did, despite its great cast and original music. Instead of ignoring this, Carney has focused on this misstep with Sing Street, creating a truly genuine ode to not just the seventies and all coming-of-age youth, but his own personal experience.

There is a deliberate personal touch here, and the film is all the better for it - it is present in the relatable character of Cosmo (played by the impressive Ferdia Walsh-Peelo) and his hormone- infused ambitions to simply "get the girl". Instigated by the presence of the beautiful and mysterious Raphina (played by the lovely Lucy Boynton), Cosmo starts a band. He is guided by his older brother Brendan (played by the excellent Jack Reynor) and his rebellious 80′s taste in music, to inspire his own band's music. What follows is a musically-charged narrative of experiments in identity, rebelling against oppression and hilarious attempts at parodying classic 80′s music videos. You have to wonder how interesting a character Carney must have been at that age, growing up in conservative Dublin and gaining a taste in new music that opened up his world, like his character Cosmo.

Frieda Walsh-Peelo does a fine job, although not leading man quality yet, he carries the film considerably well for his first acting role. More impressive, is his vocal talent. Frieda is a trained opera singer and musician at only 16. His broad vocal range is apparent and works really well with the many different songs in the film. It will be exciting to see what other projects he tackles in the future.

Lucy Boynton is stunning and so believable as the sure-footed and mysterious Raphina - she really wears the eighties wardrobe well as she fully embodies this role, rather than the other way around. Early on, her character is saved from Manic-Pixie-Dreamgirl syndrome and she becomes a real, imperfect, three-dimensional character. Boynton's light, airy voice lends to her character's naiveness, which is a stark contrast to the image she projects.

Perhaps the most enjoyable character (aside from the underused band members, who do deserve some more love) is Cosmo's older brother Brendan, played by Jack Reynor. Reynor manages to make Brendan into both a reckless, failed dreamer as well as the older brother we all wish we had. By the end of this film you'll empathize with him even more and that's not just because it's written well.

The only concern will be that most notably, at the TIFF Next Wave film festival, it was acknowledged during the Q&A's how approximately 90% of the audience were 50 or older. The soundtrack, if marketed correctly, could become a hit. Tunes like "Rhythm of the Model" and "Drive it Like You Stole It" were clearly audience favourites. It will be interesting to see how this will be marketed though. The music, although catchy and fun, is not "mainstream" and younger audiences may not bite. Older audiences who come for shoutouts to Duran Duran and The Cure may be put off by how toned down and slightly unrealistic or easy the plot plays out.

There seems to be some confusion with this film, if it was made for adolescents or older audiences or just John Carney. I would have to agree with all three. I found Sing Street similar to a Pixar film in that it's marketed toward the younger set with a story that doesn't get too ugly but is pulled off well with a strong message. References that only adults will get will go over kids' heads. But ultimately - this is a movie for and by John Carney. And that is why is it so unlike Begin Again - Sing Street has it's own voice and identity.

Overall, the message is so clear and true in this film. The world Carney places his story in is so rich that it refuses to lack depth despite it's expected younger audience. There are relatable subplots about family and marriage, the bond between brothers, oppression in society, and the desire to achieve your dreams despite where you come from. Admittedly, there are some underused characters who still manage to naturally add charisma and charm. Perhaps a missed opportunity, but the rest of the band members fall to the wayside to make room for Cosmo and Raphina's boy- meets-girl plot. This could've easily become a completely different film about the band itself and made into an ensemble's story. However, Sing Street is much more than that - it's a personal journey through adolescence. It's about daring to dream beyond what is put in front of you. (Reviewed by : COLD KNEES)

An interesting film, but I expected a little more...

[miguelneto-74936 · 6/10 · 22 December 2016]

When I saw your nomination for the best comedy\music movie of the year at the Golden Globes, Sing Street attracted my interest, so I decided to watch, I found a medium movie, the cast is competent, Ferdia Walsh- Peelo is an actor to stay with. Eye, Lucy Boynton, Jack Reynor, Maria Doyle Kennedy, Aidan Gillen and etc, the direction of John Carney is good, the soundtrack is excellent, the photography is very good, I liked the 1 act, the dialogues are good, there are some Very good characters in the film, but I found the pace slow, even the movie being very short, I expected more from Sing Street, plus I quite enjoyed the first act of the movie, and the cast that is very competent. Note 6.6

a real sweet heart of a movie, but with actual edge and, most importantly, good rock songs!

[Quinoa1984 · 8/10 · 26 November 2016]

This movie reminds me how much I miss music videos from a time when all a band needed was themselves and a good looking chick. And with the exception of that syrupy ballad near the end. Sincere and heartfelt in the best ways, genuinely funny (at times), and has a great message for young people who want to find away to express the bad things going on their lives. Maybe not the most original message, but it's told well and these young actors are good at selling it (I also liked the main kid's brother very much, sort of like an Irish Chris Pratt from Parks & Rec).

One odd thing... what was with that cutaway as Sing Street was practicing for the first time where the one guy's mother goes into her bedroom to use a vibrator(?) We also never see her again. I guess I should accept the mystery but... uh what?

Riddle of The Singer

[sol- · 7/10 · 16 May 2017]

Hoping to impress a girl, a 1980s teen starts a band and awakens a genuine passion for music beyond meeting girls in this amiable drama from Ireland. The chemistry between the protagonist and his friends feels real, the sourced song soundtrack is top notch and the band come up with several memorable 80s-style tunes of their own. The film's best aspect though is how it taps into the rising popularity of music videos in the mid-1980s with a superb analysis of Duran Duran's 'Rio' clip, plus an awesome segment in which the friends film a video clip of their own ("The Riddle of the Model") and absolutely nail it right down to the long flowing costumes. What exists here beyond the basic story of a bunch of friends and their love of music is somewhat less interesting. There are standard bullies, nasty teachers who abuse their powers and our hero has a rather humdrum dysfunctional home life. Unremarkable as these aspects of the film may be, the film still stacks up quite well overall since the music is so often in focus. There is also a delightful portion of the film heavily influenced by the prom sequence in 'Back to the Future', and while the protagonist's strained relationship with his parents does not resonate too much, he has some great moments alone with his college dropout older brother who rues the fact that he was the first born and had to suffer their unstable home life for longer.

A weak, unbelievable movie

[summinen · 3/10 · 24 December 2016]

I wanted to like this movie, but it was so unbelievable that it was impossible. Why was it unbelievable? First of all, the band sounded decent without any effort. He wants a band, finds random people who are talented and voila, they're a polished band. He wants the pretty girl so he walks up to her and she agrees to be in a video. The band itself had no focus; they sounded like Hall and Oates one minute, the Cure the next, etc. The characters had no depth, with the exception of the older brother. This movie has been done before. It was a 1978 TV movie called Cotton Candy. Instead of Ireland it was Texas. Instead of paper thin characters and a watered down plot, it was believable and touching.