2016 Catch-Up: Sing Street and The Lobster

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     It's hard to believe for people that know me, but from time to time I do miss quite a few movies. Whether it's my "month off" period in January or just when I don't feel like sitting through garbage, there's a lot I don't see in the theater. Well, as we head into Oscar season and the last stretch of the year, I thought I'd take a look back and do some catch-up for everyone who may have also missed some of the best movies of the year. Today I'm talking about Sing Street and The Lobster, so let's dive right in, shall we?

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     Sing Street takes place in 1980's Ireland, following young Connor (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo) as everything in his life is falling apart, with his parents (Aiden Gillen and Maria Doyle Kennedy) getting a divorce, having to start at a new school run by the tyrannical Brother Baxter (Don Wycherley), and just dealing with adolescence in general. His life takes a turn for the better when he meets a young model named Raphina (Lucy Boynton) and lies about being in a rock band to win her affection. Hastily assembling a band and taking some lessons in music from his older pothead brother Brendan (Jack Reynor), Connor sets out to get the girl and make a big splash with his group, but can he surmount life's obstacles to achieve his dreams of being a musician?
     If this setup sounds familiar, it's because it is, but not in a bad way. I criticize films all the time for basically rehashing the same plots over and over again, but Sing Street puts a lot of genuine heart and emotion into this formula, making it an enjoyable watch that actually did affect me at times. Everybody is great, especially the kids (all of them practically no-name actors), and the music is surprisingly enjoyable. The film is also incredibly funny, whether it's actual lines of dialogue the kids share or just how awful the kids are when they first try to make music, and I can't really think of a time where the humor fell flat. Also, as a guy who grew up on 80's music, it's amazing to see a young man work out his life issues with a healthy dose of Duran Duran, Depeche Mode, and The Cure.
     While all of this is great, I did have some problems with the film that hold it back from being great. I get that this film is a standard story, but there's no way those kids learned how to play and sing as well as they did in that short amount of time. I know that's a nitpick, but the film took a lot of time to show how bad they were, and given that this isn't presented as a fantasy it really pulled me out and made me say "No way, dude, sorry." I got back into it but I just had to laugh at how convenient that was. Also, besides Connor, Raphina, and Brendan, nobody else really gets any development. There's bits and pieces with some of the band members that set up little quirks of theirs, but that doesn't build character to me. While the three I mentioned have big moments that really hit, I would struggle to remember the names of everyone else when they would start talking, which is not good.
     All that being said, Sing Street is definitely the best crowd-pleasing film I've seen all year, following a well-worn path but doing a great job walking that road. I was impressed with the acting and the music, and even though I couldn't remember any other characters I thought the words coming out of their mouths were hilarious for the most part. If you want to watch a movie and enjoy yourself from beginning to end, you can't go wrong with Sing Street. It's one of my favorites this year, and I would highly recommend it.

My Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

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     The Lobster, switching to the artier realm, takes place in a weird dystopian future where everyone is mandated to be in a relationship, or they will be transformed into an animal and cast out into the wild. A recently divorced man, David (Colin Farrell), is sent to a hotel where he will have forty-five days to meet a new partner before his transformation. As his time begins to run out and more of the outside world begins to creep in, David will have to make some tough choices if he's going to find true love and survive this strange world. That's about as simple as it gets, folks, because this movie is freaking weird. But in a good way.
     I feel like the best description of this film is if George Orwell wrote The Notebook, but got Monty Python to do the film adaptation. Don't let any trailers or serious descriptions fool you, this movie is an out and out comedy, but one more in the vein of British comedy. The actors all deliver their lines in a very deadpan way, making the ridiculous lines they've been given to read some of the most hilarious things you've heard all year. The hotel manager (Olivia Colman), after announcing the partnership of two residents, claims that if they begin to have relationship issues the hotel will assign them a child because, and I quote, "It usually works." A line like that, delivered as straight as it was, had me on the floor laughing. Something else that works is that the film has moments of incredibly brutal violence that seem to come out of nowhere, but it never breaks the world that has been set up. These moments are usually where the actors get to showcase more emotion, and sometimes they're even funny in a black comedy sort of way. I could literally go on and on about what I liked about this film, but this is a short review so I just want to say that I thought it was great.
     While I don't think anything was necessarily bad, I will say that the entire film is one big YMMV warning. If you don't like the type of humor that I described, then you won't like it. If you don't like feeling uncomfortable in movies, particularly with sexual situations, then you're not going to like this film. If you don't like art films in general then steer clear, because it has all the long camera shots, moments of silence where nothing seems to be happening (seems being the operative word), and a general "what the hell is happening?" vibe that permeates most indie films. I personally didn't quite like the ending as much, but after reading some insights into it I am willing to give the film the benefit of the doubt. Just don't say I didn't warn you if you don't like it!
     After a year filled with lame sequels, uninspired reboots, and just not very good films, The Lobster really stands out, bringing a very unique universe, some great humor, and performances that are still amazing despite the limitations they have. If you're looking for something different, then there's really no reason to not watch this film. Even if you don't like it, there will be plenty to talk about after you see it, especially about love, relationships, and how our society views them. It's another of my favorites this year, and I really hope to see more films like this in the future.

My Rating: 5 stars out of 5

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