Do it if you like it, and chase it bravely if you love

Alexys 2021-12-20 08:01:08

Seven full years have passed from "Once" to "Begin Again". I remember that after watching "Begin Again", I cycled through the list of soundtracks for more than a month, thinking that I would have to wait another seven years to see John Carney's next music film. But I never expected to see it again this year, faster than some singers' new albums, which really surprised me.

After reading it, the overall feeling is not as good as the two between, but it still maintains the level that John Carney should have, and the visual inspection has to turn on the list loop mode.

First of all, please allow me to solemnly complain about the Chinese translation of this movie. If the translation of "Begin Again" into "Song Changes Life" is because the translator drank the chicken soup one night, then the translator who translated "Sing Street" into "The Love Song of First Love" is probably a bachelor for too long, lonely It's intolerable, and I am so eager for the taste of love to translate such an off-track name. In contrast, the Taiwanese version of "Rock and Roll Youth Love Songs" seems to be forgivable. The translated name of the Hong Kong version is "First Love Unlimited JAM". JAM means music tape in American slang. It has a strong retro feeling. Although first love is also mentioned, it is much better than the vulgar name on the mainland. As for the translation of the name "Sing Street", it depends on the benevolent.

The story background of "Sing Street" has returned to the sea breeze of Ireland, back to where "Once" began. Time has also shifted to the 1980s. The Beatles’ trend has just fallen, and Michael Jackson is sweeping the world. The story scenes and character costumes in the film, especially the music video, are almost completely imitated in the 1980s, and the overall style of music is also biased towards retro British rock. The mix and match style of the thunderbolt, the words of the fire tree and the silver flower, the dazzling editing, it is as if riding a time machine, returning to that restless and free era, full of nostalgia (a mystery of the nostalgia of the post-90s generation) ...).

The background of the story is Ireland in the 1980s. Connor, a 14-year-old boy, was transferred to a chaotic church school due to family financial reasons. Outside the school, he met Rafina, a girl one year older than him, and fell in love at first sight. After learning that Rafina was a model, Connor invited her to play the heroine of the music video. Inexperienced, he formed a band together and named it Sing Street. In the beginning, Connor's music was not great, and Rafina wanted to go to London, so she left Connor and chose Ivan. With the help of Brandon, Connor has gradually gained a more true understanding and comprehension of music through repeated attempts and efforts. Connor's music finally touched Rafina. After the successful performance of the school dance, the two decided to go to London together to realize their bigger dreams.

In terms of characters, this film is almost all new faces. The most familiar Little Finger in the film is just a soy sauce, and there are not many scenes. But during the dance at the school prom, I was always reminded of Mr. Bailishi (a character in "Game of Thrones") who was dancing an elderly disco, so the picture was so paradoxical that I couldn't look at it directly.

The protagonist Connor was a cowardly boy at the beginning and was bullied by others. But he unknowingly grew into a brave young man with quite a personality in the music. As for how to change... it would be better to perform another song to change his life. Compared with the protagonists of the previous two movies, his voice is not amazing, but the songs in the movie are like tailor-made for him, and they sound very comfortable.

Although the heroine Rafina seems to be a very realistic person, she chose Ivan between Ivan and Connor who can take her to London, but she will also jump into the ocean in order to shoot a music video. And said to Connor "You can never do anything by half". For her, the most important thing in life is a dream, whether it is her own or someone else's.

In addition, I especially like her voice, which is charming and charming. Unfortunately, she does not have a singing role in this film. After returning from a failed trip to London, she had to give up her dream of modeling and become an ordinary McDonald’s girl. It is not so much the song Connor gave her, but rather Connor's persistence and hard work on music, which finally touched her and gave her the courage to dream again.

But my favorite character is Connor’s brother Brandon. On the face of it, he seemed to be a cynical vinyl house, swallowing cigarettes, listening to music, and just passing by. Even Connor thought so. But in fact, Brandon was also a young man with fresh clothes and an angry horse. He also had his own poems and distant places. However, in the name of love, his parents stopped him and imprisoned him and his dreams on this isolated island. He is actually a person who really loves art and knows art. He throws two records to Connor casually, or a few words of instruction casually, is enough to make Connor get out of the maze and benefit a lot. After the parents' relationship finally broke down, he vented all his heavy thoughts through a violent catharsis.

You just moved in my jet stream, but once I was the fucking jet engine!

This line poked my heart aches. When he saw Connor and Rafina asking him for help with dreams, he agreed without hesitation. Although he failed to break the lock that was tied to himself, he guided his brother on the path of pursuing his dreams. Now he helps Connor take the step he failed to take, and pin his unfulfilled dream on his younger brother, ride the wind and waves together, and cross the ocean together. He finally did something meaningful, not just for Connor, but for himself.

My favorite scene in the film is that after finishing shooting at the beach, on the returning train, everyone else is chatting casually, while Connor and Rafina are sitting quietly in the corners. The light slanted into the carriage from outside the window, drawing a clear outline of the two men, and their faces were mottled with light and dark. Accompanied by soft music, the eyes of the two touched tenderly. At that moment, it seemed that time was immortal. There is no intense kiss, no eager hug, just this silent gaze is enough to express all the lingering and lingering in love.

This is a technique that John Carney is very good at, expressing the delicate and moving of love through plain and detailed portrayals. But in this movie, perhaps because the protagonists are young people, the director no longer lets them tolerate and be gentle like their predecessors, but instead kisses them bravely and straightforwardly, and kisses them twice. The story finally has an ending that at least seems to be very satisfactory, making up for the regrets that were not yet in "Once".

The theme of the film, happy-sad, is not very novel, and the joys and sorrows of life have been preached countless times. The life-changing routines of music are still full of chicken soup, too abrupt changes, and ideal endings, all of which are not as good as the previous ones. But there is one thing that the previous work did not have, and that is youth.

In the family, the distracted parents, the sloppy brother; in the school, the ruthless bastard, the rigid and mean teacher; in love, the girl he likes seems to have a good boyfriend... The troubles of young Connor are as complicated as adults. Difficult. But the advantage of youth is "I'm a futurist", "Not looking backwards, just forwards." (I'm a futuristic, don't look back, just forward). Without the drag of the past, you don't have to think too much, just do it if you like it, and chase it bravely if you love it. You can be passionate about a distant dream and give all your energy.

The only thing that a youth in youth does not lack is the courage to move forward. When people grow up, they just care too much about themselves, too afraid of injury, and too afraid of risks. But "Rock and Roll is a risk. You risk being ridiculed."

What the director wants to give us, and what the music in the film wants to convey to us, is to pluck up the courage to face the joys and sorrows of life. May you have a heart as passionate as a rock, and may you dare to love as a teenager.

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Extended Reading

Sing Street quotes

  • Brendan: Look at her. She races home every evening just to catch that last little bit of sun, have a cigarette and read her papers. She's always talking about going on a holiday to Spain, but he never takes her. That's all she gets. Then that tall tree blocks it, and she comes in. I often wonder what she's thinking about.

  • Brother Baxter: Head down to the toilet and remove the makeup right now.

    Conor: Why?

    Brother Baxter: Because I told you to.

    Conor: But I'm in a band. It's a school band, and I think it's important that we have a look.

    Brother Baxter: You're a man. Men don't wear makeup.

    Conor: But why not? People in the 18th century wore makeup. That means people like Mozart wore makeup, and he was a man.