Yes, one more cinematic reflection on why music is more or less the center of the universe for any number of us. Me, for example.
The 1980s. The advent of New Wave. Of Hardcore. The two greatest music genres in the world.
My world, for instance. And still in fact. Though, admittedly, it was considerably more exhilarating back in the day when I was able to actually dive deep down into it. Now all that’s left is the music.
But: this is basically a film about how much more intense your love for music is always going to be when you are sharing it with someone that you are falling in love with. Especially for the first time. And it is all the more fulfilling when what you are sharing is not just music that you listen to but music that you are creating yourself.
Now, I’m not one who makes much of a distinction between “our music” and “their music”. Between “pop music” and “art”. They seem to be. Fine. Different folks, different strokes.
And then there’s the part that is bursting at the seams with…class. It can all be an entirely different experience on that side of the tracks. Lots of folks there more or less willing to shit on you. Also, in some respects, Conor’s sojourn in a Catholic High School takes the film back to the 1950s.
Finally [maybe] it’s a film about how far beauty will take you when that is really all you’ve got going for you.
The ending is straight out of la la land. But not entirely out of the question.
at wiki: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sing_Street
trailer: youtu.be/C_YqJ_aimkM
SING STREET [2016]
Written and directed by John Carney
Reporter [on television]: There are still no accurate figures for the number of young lrish people coming to London in search of work, the crude indications that do exist show an enormous increase. Many take the boat with barely enough money to survive a few days in London, but still they emigrate because they see hope across the sea, hope they cannot see in lreland.
This was back in the 1980s. So, sure, if you can make a living as a musician…
[b]Conor [son]: Who are the Christian Brothers?
Robert [father]: The Christian Brothers are an educational institution formed by…
Brendan [son]: The Christian Brothers, Conor, are an order of the Catholic Church self-appointed in their education formation and systematic beating of their young charges.
Robert: Oh, shut up, Brendan. Six years in the hands of the Jesuits, and look what they did for you.
…
Brother Baxter: We have a strict black-shoe policy here, Mr. Lawlor. Your parents should have read it in the introductory rule book, page 142.
Conor: I don’t have black shoes, sir.
Brother Baxter: Well, you’re just going to have to get a pair then, aren’t you?[/b]
The next day…
[b]Brother Baxter [looking down at his brown shoes]: Good morning, Mr. Lawlor.
Conor: Well, I brought it up with my mum, but she said we can’t afford another pair at the moment. I bought these before I knew about the shoe color policy here at Synge Street. But it’s not as if they’re runners or something. They’re… they’re brown. They’re-they’re quite sensible.
Brother Baxter: They’re not black.
Conor: I’m-I’m not sure what you want me to do.
Brother Baxter: Take them off. You can leave them at the door there. Seeing as you’re so fond of them, you can pick them up here at 4:00 every day until you comply with the rules of the school.
…
Conor: We need to form a band.
Darren: What?
…
Eamon: What are you into?
Conor: I’m a futurist.
Eamon: What does that mean?
Conor: Like, uh, no nostalgia. Not like your da’s band. Not looking backwards, just forwards.
Eamon: Oh, cool. Like Depeche Mode?
Conor: Okay.
Eamon: Or Joy Division?
Conor: Right
Eamon: Or Duran Duran. What do you think of them?
Conor [mimicing Brendan]: Jury’s still out on which way those guys will go. They’re a lot of fun and James Taylor is one of the most proficient bass players in the UK at the moment, giving them a funky edge.
Eamon: John Taylor.
Conor: Yeah, John! Of course!
…
Darren: There’s a black guy in 3B.
Conor: So?
Darren: Be cool if he was in the band.
Conor: Why?
Darren: He’s probably the one black guy in the whole school. Probably in Dublin. Having a golliwog in the band give us a real edge.
Conor: You can’t say “golliwog.”
Darren: Why not?
Conor: Trust me, you just can’t.
…
Conor: [about a name for the band]: What about “La Vie”?
Darren: What’s that mean?
Conor: It’s French for “The Life.”
Garry: What’s French for, uh, “That’s not gonna be the name of the band”?
Conor: “Ce n’est pas le nom du groupe.”
Garry: There you go.
…
Conor [after Brendan stomps on his demo cassette]: We’re just starting. We need to learn how to play.
Brendan: Did the Sex Pistols know how to play? You don’t need to know how to play. Who are you, Steely Dan? You need to learn how not to play, Conor. That’s the trick. That’s rock and roll. And that takes practice.
…
Conor [to Eamon]: When you don’t know someone, they’re more interesting. They can be anything you want them to be. But when you know them, that limits them.
…
Brendan: You’re good. Get better. How d’you know he’s her boyfriend anyway?
Conor: It seemed like it. Pulled off in his car, music blaring. He’s pretty cool.
Brendan: What was he listening to?
Conor: Genesis.
Brendan: No woman can truly love a man who listens to Phil Collins.
…
Brother Baxter: What’s going on?
Conor: With what?
Brother Baxter [gesturing towards his hair]: This.
Conor: Oh, well. I checked the rule book…the-the one you mentioned about brown shoes and I couldn’t find anything about makeup or altering hair color. Oh, and look. I painted these with paint from the art room.
Brother Baxter: Head down to the toilet and remove the makeup right now.
Conor: Why?
Brother Baxter: Because I told you to.
Conor: But I’m in a band. It’s a school band, and I think it’s important that we have a look.
Brother Baxter: You’re a man. Men don’t wear makeup.
Conor: But why not? Men in the 18th century wore makeup. That means people like Mozart wore makeup, and he was a man.
Brother Baxter: So you’re Mozart now, are you? That makes me Salieri, is it?
Conor: Who’s Salieri?
…
Raphina: Will you write me a happy song sometime? I need a laugh.
Conor: But what if I don’t feel happy?
Raphina: Your problem is that you’re not happy being sad. But that’s what love is, Cosmo. Happy sad.
…
Conor: What did she mean by that?
Brendan: Well, I think what she means is that you need to reach a place in your life where you’re okay with your sadness. It’s pretty high concept stuff. How old d’you say she was again?
Conor: Sixteen.
Brendan: It’s monastic. She’s like a monk.
Ann [sister]: She sounds really pretentious.
Brendan: Why, 'cause she wants to leave school and follow her vocation?
Ann: You call wanting to be a model a vocation?
Brendan: Anything can be a vocation, Ann. Being a taxi driver, being a bin man, being a poet, being a singer, being an artist.
Ann: Brendan, I never wanted to be an artist.
Brendan: We couldn’t get the brush out of your hand when you were a kid.
Ann: What is wrong with being an architect?
Brendan: It’s not a vocation.
Ann: I thought everything was a vocation.
Brendan: Don’t be playing word games with me, Ann. I don’t do “words,” all right?
…
Conor [to Brendan]: I think she’s an amazing human being, never seen anyone like her. The way she talks and looks. She wears this sunglasses, and when she takes’em off, her eyes… are like the clouds clearing to let pass the moon
[Brendan scoffs]
Conor: Sometimes I just wanna cry looking at her.
…
Darren: What does happy sad even mean? How can we be both things? It makes no sense.
Conor: It means that I’m stuck in this shithole full of morons and rapists and bullies, and I’m gonna deal with it, okay? It’s just how life is. I’m gonna try and accept this and get on with it, and make some art.
Eamon: So how does that affect our music?
Conor: Positively.
…
Conor [to Barry, the school bully]: Maybe you’re living in my world. I’m not living in yours. You’re just material for my songs.
…
Conor [to Barry]: You only have the power to stop things, but not to create.
…
Conor [to Raphina]: Look, there’s the ferry heading to England. Full of lrish people.
…
Conor: What’s wrong with you?
Brendan: I don’t know. I’m in withdrawal!
Conor: From what?
Brendan: I haven’t smoked hash in two days, Conor.
Conor: Why?
Brendan: So I can do somethingwith my life.
Conor: Like what?
Brendan: Do you see that guitar? I used to be able to play that guitar…well. I used to ride hot girls. I could run 200 meters faster than anybody in my school. You’re the youngest. You get to follow the path that I macheted through the jungle that is our mad family. I was alone with them for six years. You think they’re crazy now? Think about what they were like when they were in their late 20’s. Two Catholics in a rented flat with a screaming baby who just got married because they wanted to have sex. They didn’t even love each other. I was in the middle of that, alone! And then you came along, thank God! And you followed the path that I cut for us. Untouched. You just moved in my jet stream. And people laugh at me, Conor. The stoner, the college dropout. And they praise you, which is fine! But once, I was a fucking jet engine!!!
…
Conor: Hi. Is Raphina there?
Girl [at the door]: No. She doesn’t live here anymore.
Conor: Wh-Where is she?
Girl: I don’t know. Are you the bloke in the band?
Conor: Yeah.
Girl: I lost money on you.
Conor: What?
Girl: Yeah, we all had bets going. Thought you were gonna win. Look, she was always gonna do her own thing, wasn’t she? She’s mad like that, determined.
…
Conor: Raphina?
Raphina: No, sorry.
Conor: Hey, wait.
Raphina: What?
Conor: Raphina.
Raphina: Who?
Conor: Raphina.
Raphina: Oh, no, I’m Raphina’s younger sister. Sorry.
Conor: No, you’re not. What are you doing? I thought you were in London.
…
Conor: So what are you gonna do now?
Raphina: I don’t know. I was gonna print some CVs, but I haven’t really done anything, except your videos. McDonald’s have an ad in their window. Would you still fancy me if I did that? “D’you want chips with that?”
Conor: As long as you’re happy.
Raphina: So that’s my life now. Working at McDonald’s, hanging out with a 15-year-old schoolboy. I’m exactly like my ma. I’m mad.
Conor [finally realizing the score]: I have to go now. I have a gig to rehearse for.
Raphina: Oh, tell me about that.
Conor: No.
…
Connor: Will you help me write a song?
Eamon: Always.[/b]