Sing Street

This review may contain spoilers!

I'd pay good money to watch Littlefinger bust a move again. I'd give Sing Street an 8/10.

This film has an incredible story here about using music to run from and then rise above the struggles you can be confronted with in life, it's a really interesting film that will have you hooked from start to finish. The story pays a great deal of attention to the main character, Cosmo, as he discovers and claims his identity; not only that but the film works really hard for the main female lead to not be this symbolic prize for his coming of age but in her own way she claims her identity too. The soundtrack for this film is great and there's numerous hits that you'll recognise in here; yet I think what made this film so memorable is the incredible use and purpose of original songs within the feature.

Ferdia Walsh-Peelo, who played Cosmo, made for a quiet yet surprisingly courageous protagonist in this film; I really liked seeing the way his character developed and grew throughout the course of the film. Aidan Gillen, who played Robert, really wore his frustration and pain quite visibly during this film; I really enjoyed the scenes he shared with Reynor because the two of them bounced off one another really well. Lucy Boynton, who played Raphina, had a very cool demeanour that set her apart from the rest of the cast; however as the film progressed Boynton skillfully revealed the more vulnerable qualities of her character. Mark McKenna, who played Eamon, was one of my favourite performers in the film; his very reserved enthusiasm for music and taking risks were a lot of fun to watch. Don Wycherley, who played Brother Baxter, made for a rather intimidating antagonist within this film; his constant oppression of Cosmo really fueled the film onwards.

However the best performance came from Jack Reynor, who played Brendan. Reynor had a very sarcastic edge to his role that made him one of the more comedic roles of the film, he also shared a brilliant onscreen chemistry with Walsh-Peelo which solidified the brotherly bond of their roles. I loved how Reynor talked about music so irreverently, he really did break down how significant music was and how it could define your identity. This character also bore a lot of self-pity and buried frustration which Reynor lets out in a very emotional scene, it's incredibly telling of how upset this role is by the separation going on within his family.

The cinematography within this film was really weak, the visual style felt a bit too simple and there weren't any moments that I remember for their visual quality. The editing was a bit simple as well, the cuts happened at a very gradual rate and if it weren't for the great plot would have had a serious impact upon the pacing.

Maria Doyle Kennedy, who played Penny, was quite a rigid performance that didn't deliver the same emotional impact as Gillen did; you didn't see her as a role that fit within the family. Kelly Thornton, who played Ann, had a really weak screen presence in this film; sadly her role in the family was often forgotten and she didn't share much chemistry with Reynor or Walsh-Peelo. Ben Carolan, who played Darren, was a bit of an awkward character who never left much of an impression; his role wasn't comedic nor did he really add anything to the plot. Percy Chamburuka, who played Ngig, was typecast as the black character for the film; I wish I was kidding but that seemed to be the message this film was putting across when it came to his character. Conor Hamilton and Karl Rice, who played Larry and Garry, were easily the most forgettable members of the band and the cast; they were really only in the film so that there were a couple more instruments present. Ian Kenny, who played Barry, was a rather weak antagonist in this film; I couldn't help but feel that his performance was a bit simple and two-dimensional. Lydia McGuinness, who played Mrs Dunne, was introduced far too late into the film to have had any impact; her support for the band and for Cosmo didn't seem to matter by that point as they had already started to find themselves. Peter Campion, who played Evan, was a character I wish we'd seen a bit more of; as it was he could have made a great antagonist if he'd had a bit more presence within the film.