A touching story about a single mother (Eve Hewson) and rebellious son in Dublin, who connect in their love for music. She also finds herself increasingly attracted to the man in Los Angeles she's taking guitar lessons from (Joseph Gordon-Levitt). I'm forever drawn to watching people organically making music, even if it is constructed within the film here, and Hewson and Gordon-Levitt are great here. In fact, I kind of wish the focus had been less on Flora and Son, and more on Flora and Jeff, Gordon-Levitt's character.
Director John Carney still delivers though, and the film reminded me of his film Once (2007), with Irish accents and working-class bluntness flying. The parenting angle tries to show that despite all the cussing and mean things Flora and her son say to one another, deep down they love each other, leading to a rather saccharine ending, one which felt wrapped things up too early. As for the music itself, it's a mixed bag, highlighted probably in the Tom Waits and Hoagy Carmichael covers, and sinking when the son raps to his mother at the end. All in all, worth seeing.
Director John Carney still delivers though, and the film reminded me of his film Once (2007), with Irish accents and working-class bluntness flying. The parenting angle tries to show that despite all the cussing and mean things Flora and her son say to one another, deep down they love each other, leading to a rather saccharine ending, one which felt wrapped things up too early. As for the music itself, it's a mixed bag, highlighted probably in the Tom Waits and Hoagy Carmichael covers, and sinking when the son raps to his mother at the end. All in all, worth seeing.