'Sing Street', behind the music

Sing Street 

First, kudos to John Carney for making me enjoy a movie that pays a lovely tribute to the New Romantics movement! You have to be a masterful director for making such a haunting film with such terrible bands (imo, of course) as Duran Duran, Hall & Oates or Spandau Ballet being not just your soundtrack, but a really important part of your work.

But I shouldn't be surprised. After all, Carney is the man behind 'Once' and 'Begin Again', two films that already proved he's capable of making movies about that irrepressible, life-changing & life-driving passion named music that entertain, engage and connect with all sorts of moviegoers, not just music lovers. And that's exactly the case with 'Sing Street'.

Settled in 1980s Dublin, 'Sing Street' is the story (or tale, most appropriately) of 14-year-old Conor (surprising debut by Ferdia Walsh-Peelo) who is not having the best of the times. His parents are on the verge of divorce. There are serious money concerns. And his new, catholic school is full of bullies, including the school's director. But after meeting the arresting & mysterious Raphina (magnetic Lucy Boynton), things are about to change drastically. He has to form a band in order to win her love... And so the magic begins.

For nearly an hour, maybe even a bit more, the film is almost, pure joy. The tunes, of course. The hilarious way in which the band gets born. How they compose the first song, 'The Riddle of the Model', that also becomes a really funny, ramshackle video, a refreshing way to talk about the arrival of MTV and the bursting videoclip culture. The imitation of music trends (where's the post-punk phase?), the aesthetics, the young bunch of kids transforming themselves in a creative sponge. The ups and downs of Raphina's heart conquest. The endless music & life talks with Conor's older brother Brendan (Jack Reynor, who steals every scene he is in). Sure, you have seen this tale before (being honest, the story development is far from original), but in such a dynamic, unstoppable way? Can't remember...

But then comes the last part of 'Sing Street', in which Carney has to take decisions. Is this going to be about music or just a romantic movie? Are the dramas (which, as usual, become bigger as the film advances) going to be dealt with, or the "feel-good" vibes are what really matters? To my view, Carney takes the easiest, most pleasing options. Subplots and secondary roles that have a lot of potential (the brothers' relationship, Brendan deserves a movie of his own) get shadowed. Others (the parents, Conor's sister) completely neglected. Even the band is somewhat "displaced" because of Conor & Raphina. Dramas are basically skipped... and then there's the final gig where all seems to fall into place. I get it: music can make the troubles go away, give us the strength and courage to take risks, be brave and fight for your dreams. But for a band looking for the "happy sad" song formula, once has the feeling Carney has decided to skimp on one part of the equation, making whe whole film look like A-ha's 'Take On Me' (and most of the mainstream 80s music): at first appealing, even intriguing... but finally bland. I won't be that harsh with 'Sing Street', because nevertheless, is an incredibly engaging, cheerful movie. But what it could have been with a bit more of punch...

SCORE: 6,75/10

The Indie Anthology 26: essential songs

It's been a while since the last chapter of our Anthology, but today the band election has been very easy. My little homage to one of my dearest friends, now quite far from me, but capable still of sharing with me what really matters in life.

Song: Animal Cannabus
Artist: Mull Historical Society
Year: 2001

Can't believe more than a decade has passed. Like Mull, the Scottish island where he comes from (I remember checking where it was on a map), Colin MacIntyre came out of the blue for me (for us). On a time when MTV still played music, "Animal Cannabus" was quite a shock. An epic, torrential indiepop song. A classic with flamboyant new clothes. Then came "Loss" with that unique, impossible dog cover. Music that was a bit surreal, joyful, and very rich (both lirycs and music). Unfortunately, Colin was heavily underrated despite its many talents and vibrant way of understanding music. But this was part of the soundtrack of those years. And still is a magnificent tune, and an artist to vindicate.

The Indie Anthology 10: essential songs

For the 10th song in our Anthology (a little landmark on its own) a very dear one. A happy, fun and shiny tune that brings back to mind nice old memories and friends. Its a decade a long time? Not for history books, but I guess it can be quite a lot for a kid.

Song: Jane
Artist: Elf Power
Year: 1999

Well, 12 years ago, alternative music had a chance on Spanish TV and in that stupid-reality show-channel named MTV today. Me, my brother, and my best friend watched the "indie hour" at 23:00 pm everyday, writing down our favourite tracks to discuss them and begin the band research. How many did we discover? Many didn't survive the proof of time, but some tunes remain as a testimony of how we were haunted by music. Like the uplifting "Jane", from the first second, with its irresistibly melodic fanfare, a bouncy, addictive dose of psychedelic bubblegum pop, Elephant 6 collective's style. 12 years, and hearing "Jane" still brings a smile to my face. That's what a great tune can do.

"The Devil and Daniel Johnston", artist, sick man, myth

The Devil and Daniel Johnston

Love when a film leaves you wondering and asking questions yourself. If these questions are about music, its even better. "The Devil and Daniel Johnston" is that sort of movie.

The story of Daniel Johnston is fascinating. "Thanks" to his "special" behaviour, filming and taping everything, we witness his entire and incredible life. What we see is intriguing and moving. In that sense the documentary is not about a musician, but about someone who suffers, and tries to deal with his manic depression/bipolar disorder. Daniel's life captivates the viewer because the mixture between his artistic creativity and his madness. Moments of astonishing craziness (the NY affair, the plane, seeing the Devil everywhere) followed by bits of his music is a combination that speaks and impacts for itself.

But as the film develops it reveals how difficult it is to separate the musician from the seriously ill person. Johnston's is not, like many artists in history, an eccentric or a slightly weird outsider. He's a fragile and highly sensitive human being with a really and very serious mental problem, that brings him to moments of profound depression, delirium and rage accesses, affecting the people that surrounds him, parents (a special note to them, as they have a couple of scenes where emotion just reduce them to tears), family, friends (including his quite peculiar manager), musicians, etc. The film doesn't hide any bit of him acting oddly, or just falling apart, going in and out of mental hospitals while he tries to keep his prolific work. But his mental condition permeates (it couldn't be any other way) everything he creates. And that brings me to a double question.

So while the portrayal of his life is fascinating and touching, I have some concerns/doubts about the musician itself. I know about Daniel's cult music status, and that his songs have been covered by hundreds of artists, but after seeing the film, I wonder to which extent that fame and prestige has to do with his complex, troubled character, and not just his music talents. It's obvious director Jeff Feuerzeig loves Johnston work, both music and drawings. But in my opinion, the film doesn't care much about we, the ones that don't know a lot about Daniel, or that simply are not their fans.  

Because for the "regular" viewer, "The Devil and Daniel Johnston" offers a strange musician portrayal. About someone tortured inside that creates music... and becomes a star... without knowing the reasons why. Feuerzeig explains us his music career with brush strokes, so for me at least is a bit hard to believe how Daniel gets his shot at MTV, how he is capable of working with Jad Fair and Sonic Youth, or how he manages to gather 3.000 people in an auditorium after a forced hiatus because his illness. Moreover, what we see in that gig is someone singing really out of tune, suffering on stage and offering songs that cannot we qualified as extraordinary (I'm not saying his music is bad by no means, I'm just saying that what we see/hear at the documentary doesn't justify his cult status). So, what's up with their fans? They were all converted just because Kurt Cobain wore a shirt of him for a while? Why we don't have more interviews and thoughts of fans about his music, and why we don't get more information about how their career evolved and it is considered? It left me wondering the same sort of questions that "Exit Through the Gift Shop" did. Who decides what's art, in this case with music, who elevated Johnston's to a myth category?

It is a complex movie about an equally complex person, so it's kind of logical the review has to be a bit "tricky" too. As a film about a human being with serious issues that tries to deal with them while offers the world his talents, this movie is outstanding and absorbing. But as a music portray, to me, its incomplete or just for die-hard fans. Having said that, is a must-see oddity

SCORE: 7/10