The Monthly Catch: Harry Potter, Sing Street, Kubo and more

Sing Street

No one makes movies that celebrate creativity, collaboration and the healing power of music like John Carney. I remember getting a  screener for “Once” in late 2007. I was so moved by the film that I ran right to the store to pick up its soundtrack. I think “Begin Again” is kind of a step back — it too often feels like “Once More” — but it has heart to it, along with an effervescent Keira Knightley.

I bought “Sing Street” as a blind purchase on the recommendation of several critics and friends. One Friday night while my wife was out of town, I was feeling a bit down and lethargic, in a bad mood. I put the film on and became enraptured. I wanted to watch it again right away (I didn’t, but less than a week later I made my wife watch it with me). This takes what worked so well about “Once” — the joy and healing of making music — and builds a funny and emotional story out of it. Conor (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo) is a young teen in 1980s Dublin who comes from a fractured, struggling family. He meets Raphina (Lucy Boynton) and asks her to be in music videos for his band. The trouble? Now he has to form one, which he does with fellow school outcasts.

“Sing Street” gets so much right about the power of music on our lives and the way great artists spark our creativity. As Conor and Sing Street begin writing and performing, they take on the sounds and looks of whatever music they’re currently obsessing over, be it Duran Duran or The Cure. Over time, Conor learns to channel his own frustrations and heartaches into his music. He grows up, embraces his passion, and his relationships become more complex (Walsh-Peelo is fantastic). Carney has made a career out of showing how music can save and restore a person (“Begin Again’s” original title was “Can a Song Save a Life”), but here he does it better than ever. There’s a scene where Conor imagines a video shoot that goes exactly to plan, and the result ties in every plot thread and character to make the most exhilarating moments of the year. It’s also Carney’s best work with characters, particularly Conor’s relationship with his brother Brendan (Jack Reynor).

The movie instantly became my favorite of 2016, and it’s going to take a great film to budge it from that spot. “Sing Street” is a joyous achievement, a movie that feels like a warm hug. Don’t miss it.