Sing Street

For some reason the film Sing Street was never on my radar during Sundance this year but several of my friends have recently recommended it to me so I went to see it last night.  I absolutely loved it (and I can't believe that I didn't try to get a ticket at Sundance).  It is 1985 in Dublin and Conor Lalor (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo) has troubles at home because his parents are fighting and troubles at his new school because of a bully and a ruthless headmaster.  When he meets Raphina (Lucy Boynton), an aspiring model, he tries to impress her by asking her to be in a music video for his (non-existent) band.  When she accepts, he gathers together a group of misfits, forms a band, begins writing songs for her, and gets a gig playing at his school, thus changing his life forever.  It is definitely your basic feel-good movie about overcoming the odds but it is just so much fun!  The boys in the band are so endearing and I absolutely loved all of their video shoots, especially their costumes.  Conor takes inspiration for his personal style from John Taylor of Duran Duran, then Robert Smith of The Cure (my favorite look), and finally Tony Hadley of Spandau Ballet and it is hilarious when he shows up at school all decked out after watching a particular music video (remember when MTV actually showed music videos?).  I laughed out loud when the members of band walked up to school in a line in slow-motion (a la Reservoir Dogs).  In fact, I laughed out loud many times.  I loved all of the 80s music and I also really loved the original music played by the band, especially "To Find You" and "Drive It Like You Stole It."  I loved this film (I may need to see it again) and I highly recommend it, especially to my Gen-Xers out there!

Note:  When I was in high school it seemed like everyone my parents' age was really nostalgic for music from the 60s.  I wondered, then, if my generation would be nostalgic for 80s music.  The answer, at least for me, is yes!