The original title of John Carney's previous film, Begin Again (which was on my list of favorites in 2014) was "Can A Song Save Your Life?", and that is a question he likes to explore in pretty much everything he does. In 2007 his breakthough Irish musical Once became a phenomenon around the world, bringing the Dublin sound right from the streets and into the hearts of millions. Well now Carney is back with Sing Street, and it once again touches on the director's core themes.
Starring Ferdia Walsh-Peelo, Lucy Boynton, Jack Reynor, Aidan Gillen, and Mark McKenna, the '80s-set story centers on a Dublin kid who escapes his troubled home life by starting a glam rock band with other misfits. Carney seems to be going for a lighter spirit than usual, but the soul of what he's going for is definitely familiar. Here's the official synopsis:
"With 1980s Dublin mired in recession, Conor’s parents move him from a comfortable private school to a rough inner-city public school where the scrappy 14-year-old forms a band. Mentored by his older brother, a dropout who’s hip to cool tunes, Conor starts to compose lyrics and the glam-ish band finds its “no covers” groove. Renaming himself Cosmo, he convinces the mysterious, über-cool Raphina to star in their music videos (and tries to win her heart in the process)."
So does music save this kid's life? Sing Street hits the U.K. in March and debuts at the Sundance Film Festival next week. Look out for a review.
