Oscars Preview: 30 Movies to Watch Before the Nominations Come Out!
By Emily Scott
Image via The Weinstein Company
Sing Street
What it’s about:
In 1985 Dublin, when his family starts struggling, Conor Lawlor is moved from his expensive private school into a state school. At his new school, he meets Raphina, an aspiring model whom he’s attracted to. He spontaneously tells her that his band needs a model for a music video they are making, which makes her excited. The thing is, Conor doesn’t have a band. After forming an alliance with Darren, an aspiring entrepreneur, they recruit a musician, Eamon, to form a band with them. The endeavor is originally begun to impress a girl, but it inspires Conor to start writing his own songs and developing the band in earnest. But when various issues flare up, Conor is tasked with overcoming his personal challenges to triumph in creativity.
Major Players:
The film is written and directed by John Carney, who also wrote and directed 2007’s breakout hit Once. The cast led by relative newcomers, like Ferdia Walsh-Peelo as the protagonist Conor and Lucy Boynton as Raphina. Supporting the young stars are Aiden Gillen (of Game of Thrones fame) as Conor’s father Robert, Jack Reynor as Conor’s brother Brendan, and Maria Doyle Kennedy as Conor’s mother Penny.
What the Critics are Saying:
Sing Street is definitely a crowd favorite, as evidenced by its 96% on Rotten Tomatoes. Guy Lodge of Variety calls it “A heart-melting adolescent romance that gives teenage garage bands everywhere a better name.” Stephanie Zacharek of Time explains how such a seemingly cliché premise rings so true in this film: “You’ve seen every element of Sing Street hundreds of times before–it’s Carney’s knack for assembling them that makes the difference. In his hands, this isn’t just a nostalgia trip.” Some reviewers have criticized the movie as over the top, but most seem to give it a pass. Rolling Stone’s Peter Travers, for example, writes, “Too much? Sometimes. But Carney never loses sight of the simple story at the film’s core.”
Possible Nominations:
The best nomination possibility for this movie is for the Best Original Song category. There are several Sing Street songs that could be nominated, but most critics are looking towards the song “Beautiful Sea” as the likely contender.