Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them Review

Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them Review

It feels so good to be back to the world of Harry Potter. 

‘Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them’ is an exciting film that gives us a new adventure in the world of JK Rowling, who wrote the script. The film is packed with chases, mysteries, fights, and lots different and creative looking creatures. Like the other Harry Potter films, it makes me want to leave the world I am in now and go into the wizarding world. Even though the film does not tell us a lot new information about the Harry Potter universe it is still a welcomed edition to the Harry Potter film series.

 

The story takes place in 1926, about 70 years before the Sorcerer of Stone, and centers on a wizard named Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne), who nurtures a collection of creatures to show that they are not dangerous to the wizarding world. One day when he is visiting New York the creatures get lose because of a mishap with a nonwizard, or muggle/No-Maj, named Jacob (Dan Fogler). 

Now it is up to Newt and Jacob to find the creatures before chaos ensues, with some help from fellow wizards Tina (Katherine Waterston) and Queenie Goldstein (Alison Sudol). At the same time, there seems to be a conspiracy involving Percival Graves (Colin Farrell). He is one of the directors at The Magical Congress of the United States and is trying to find something called an Obscurus for power. 

What stands out about this movie the most is even though it is a prequel, it does not rely on the past eight Harry Potter films. Usually, in prequels, there would be a bunch of references and callbacks to the films before it and this would distract from the main story. The biggest examples would be the Star Wars prequels and X-Men Origins: Wolverine. However in ‘Fantastic Beasts’, there aren't many call backs to the other Harry Potter films so I feel the film stands on its own.

One of the best elements of the movie is the performance. Eddie Redmayne is very likable as someone who is very naive but is also hiding something significant. I also enjoyed Dan Fogler as Jacob as he is both the comic relief of the film and our eyes through the film since he is a regular guy learning about the wizarding world as we are. Katherine Waterston is also great at playing the person who is the most focused and Alison Sudol is great at playing the sister who is alway upbeat. Colin Farell is also as good as usual, playing the obvious villain who is hiding behind the scenes.

I really enjoyed the creatures who are creatively designed and they each have their own personality. The creatures are designed like different animals except with a distant abnormal feature like a rhino with lava in his nose or a giant eagle. They even have their own personalities. There is a creature called a bowtruckle that is anti-social and there is a creature called a niffler, that looks like a mole, that like anything shiny like gold.

However the biggest issue with the film is with the story structure and the pacing. The films main focus is on the story on capturing the beasts but at the same time, it wants to focus on this subplot involving Percival Graves trying to find the Obscurus with a boy named Credence (Ezra Miller). Even though I liked the story line involving the beasts, I felt the story line involving Percival Graves and Credence was rushed. So when we do get to the climax of the film there is less weight to the situation.  

I also felt a lack the character development in the film. Other than Jacob, it does not seem like the characters really go through a character arc. Newt is the same as he was at the beginning of the movie, and whenever it seems like we about to learn more about Newt it only gives us hints. Since this film is going to be the first in a series of five ‘Fantastic Beasts’ films I do sometimes get the feel that this film is a set up for the next five movies. 

What ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them’ wants to do is bring the audience back into the Harry Potter Universe and set us up for a new series of films. While there are a few bumps, I feel that the movie succeeds. It is fun, exciting, and is full of surprises. I would recommend this film to Harry Potter and non-Harry Potter fans, as I feel the movie does not rely on the other films as I said before. I think that the real magic of the film.

Grade: B+

Trolls Review

Trolls Review

"Trolls" is a fun and vibrant film that will put a smile on your face. The film is like a sugar rush with the colorful sceneries and characters and upbeat contemporary songs. Even though the film is based on the troll toy line, the film is able to tell a cohesive story even with some logic leaps. While it is not great, Trolls still an enjoyable time.

The story is about a troll named Poppy (Anna Kendrick) who, along with every other troll, is incredibly happy and energetic. The exception is Branch (Justin Timberlake) who is  always in a negative mood and is alway afraid that they will get attacked by the Bergens, a group of monsters who can only be happy by eating a troll. However, one day, when the trolls are celebrating the 20th anniversary of their escape from the Bergens, they are attacked and some trolls are captured by a Bergen name Chef (Christine Baranski). So now it is up to Poppy and Branch to rescue them before they are eaten. 

The best element of the film is the animation. The backgrounds are very creative and the character designs look nice as well. I also really like the textures of the characters and backgrounds that have a woolen feeling to them like a toy play set. The color palate is also very bright and multicolored like Candy Crush. However, the animation shines most in the musical scenes with elaborate set pieces and energetic dance sequences. 

The voice cast is also a lot of fun. Anna Kendrick is very likable as Poppy as you buy her as a character who is both happy and optimistic. Justin Timberlake is also pretty solid at playing a grump who is always negative, even though he seems a bit miscast. Christopher Mintz-Plasse was perfectly cast as King Gristle Jr., the spoiled and lazy king of the Bergens. Christine Baranski also stands out as Chef, whoo is the evil mastermind behind the scenes. We also get performances from Zooey Deschanel as a Bergen maid named Bridget, Russell Brand, James Corden, Gwen Stefani, and John Cleese. 

I even liked the songs. The film mostly does covers of other songs like “September” and “Sound of Silence”, and is produced in the upbeat style of Glee. There are some original songs like “Hair Up” and “Can't Stop the Feeling”, which will never leave your head. Also, I think the best scene in the movie is when Justin Timberlake and Anna Kendrick sing “True Colors” by Cyndi Lauper.

However, the biggest issue with the film is the film's simplicity. Because all the characters do not have much of a personality outside of their one personality there is a lack of real emotional depth. Also, because the story is so basic and predictable there is a lack of real suspense. 

The film also at times also has a hard time of finding the right note when the tone is dramatic. There is a scene in which Branch talks about how his grandma died and it is done in an incredibly over the top way with “Total Eclipse of the Heart” by Bonnie Tyler. Instead of the scene being an emotional moment, it comes across as unintentionally funny. There is also a subplot about Bridget having a crush on King Gristle Jr., which I did not care about since it is pretty underdeveloped and I don't care about either of the characters. 

Some elements of the story are also a bit of a stretch even though the story is mostly cohesive. The idea that Bergens have to eat trolls to be happy is a very out of left field and does not really make any sense. It seems like the filmmaker really struggled to put a story together around troll dolls so they randomly came up with this concept.

Even though I like the songs I really felt a lot of the songs where out of place since the lyrics are not in the context of the movie. It works in a movie like Pulp Fiction but when you have characters randomly bursting into song and singing covers, it’s really distracting. Also, there were some very odd song choices like Mo Money Mo Problems and Clint Eastwood by the Gorillaz, which isn't even that popular. 

"Trolls" is obvious aimed more for kids in elementary school than a college student like me. It’s very upbeat, simple, and has a nice message about being happy and optimistic. However, I still had a good time watching it. If you want to see a film with real emotional depth and dark themes, this is not for you. If you want to see a film that is bright and happy, give it a watch.

Grade: B-

Ouija: Origin of Evil Review

Ouija: Origin of Evil Review

When I came into to see Ouija: The Origin of Evil my expectations were pretty low. It is the sequel to a film that was not well received and it did not help that the trailers looked incredibly generic. Also, sequels in the horror genre usually suck, look at Exorcist II or Blair Witch 2. So I was expecting to be bored or angry at this movie. I actually turns out that Ouija: The Origin of Evil is an ok horror film that actually knows how to play with it’s premise. While it definitely has it’s flaws, overall the film is a decent flick for Halloween season. 

The story starts in 1967 Los Angeles, where we see a single mother named Alice Zander (Elizabeth Reaser) who is a fake séance who scams people by making them think that they are talking to their dead loved ones. She is also helped by her two daughters, the oldest is Paulina Zander (Annalise Basso) and the youngest is Doris Zander (Lulu Wilson). One day Alice buys a Ouija board for her act but in the process invited an evil spirit into the house. Then when Doris is taken over by the spirit after she tries to contact her dad, it seems she can speak to people on the “other side”. However, once Alice uses Doris for her business and to speak to her dead husband, all hell breaks loose. 

What I liked about this movie is the setup. Normally in these movies, there would a contrived reason for why the character would unlock the evil spirits. However, in this scenario, it makes sense that our main characters would accidentally unlock evil spirits since Alice works in a business that involves spirits, even if it is all fake. Also, it is a business that has run through Alice’s family so it makes sense.

However the element that shocked me the most were the characters and the performances. At first, it seems that Alice Zander is unlikable since she is scamming people. Then it seems she is stupid for messing with evil spirits when she realizes they are real. However, she actually becomes more sympathetic because we learn that she has good intentions, as she feels it brings people inner peace to believe that they are talking to their dead loved ones. Even though we see that Alice should not mess with spirits it is understandable that she would mess with them as it allows her to talk to her husband. 

Also the character is more likable thanks to Elizabeth Reaser’s performance. I also really liked Lulu Wilson as Doris who plays a character who starts off as an innocent little girl and then turns into someone who is emotionless. I even liked Henry Thomas (who was the little boy from ET by the way) as the Pastor Father Tom who tries to help the Zanders. Annalise Basso is just ok as Paulina as see just plays your typical adventurous teenager who for some reason seems to have the same facial expression throughout the movie.

I also really enjoyed the 60’s ascetic of the film. The film’s cinematography has a very grainy feel to it like it was filmed with film strips. We also see some burn marks on the screen which also makes us feel like we are watching a film from the 60’s. The setting and costumes also look very 60’s and the music has a 60’s vibe.

However the biggest issue with the film is the lack of suspense and scares. There are a few jump scares that make you jump up a little bit but that is about it. While I did want to know what happened at the end I was not really scared of the evil spirit. I think the main reason is he never really does anything that would make you feel his dangerous presence. Until the end, all he does is help Alice and do strange things like write up random messages. 

Also it does not help that the CGI is laughably bad. When CGI was used, the people in the theater and I were laughing. There is also a romance between Paulina and some older guy which I did not care about since there is zero development for it and the romance is incredibly clique. 

Another problem is that there any many details in the ending that do not make any sense. I am not going to spoil what they are but there are strange twists that are never explained at any point through the film.  

Overall the film is a nice surprise with good characters, good performances, and a good set up. While it lacks scares, I would still say the film is entertaining enough to complete your Halloween.

The Accountant Review

The Accountant Review

Have you ever wanted to see a movie that is a combination Rain Man and Jason Bourne? Well here is the movie. The Accountant is an amusing movie that is both awesome but at the time a little confused. It has a really intriguing story and some great performances but suffers from a bit of identity crisis. When you add everything up together you get a movie that is entertaining but flawed. 

The movie is about an accountant named Christian Wolff (Ben Affleck) who is an accountant. He suffers from a mild case of autism which allows him to be very fluent with numbers but also makes him very anti-social and unemotional. While he is living in a small-town CPA office, he makes a living by being an accountant for criminal organizations. 

One day Christian takes a robotics company as a client run by Lamar Blackburn (John Lithgow). However, when he discovers that there is an inconsistency with the numbers, which involves millions of dollars, he gets suspicious. As he learns more about what is going on, more people mysterious are killed around Christian are killed. Now Christian needs to find out what is going on while we also learn more about Christian’s past. At the same time the director of financial crimes at the Treasury Department, named Raymond "Ray" King (J. K. Simmons), assigns a young analyst named Marybeth Medina (Cynthia Addai-Robinson) to track down Christian.

The strongest element of this movie to me is the performances. Ben Affleck does an amazing job playing Christian Wolff who is a math genius but is anti-social and unemotional. Throughout the movie Affleck able to play an unemotional genius and then in a second he can transform into someone who is emotionally unstable. 

J. K. Simmons is also great as the head of the Treasury Department, playing a character who has gone through a lot and ready to retire. Anna Kendrick also plays a fellow accountant, named Dana Cummings, who gets interested in Christian Wolff and also gets thrown into the mystery. Jon Bernthal (who you might recognize as The Punisher from the Daredevil Netflix show) also wonderfully plays an assassin and has an interesting connection with Christian Wolff. There are also some great performances from John Lithgow as the head of the robotics company, Cynthia Addai-Robinson as the analyst trying to hunt down Christian Wolff, and Jeffrey Tambor as a friend of Christian Wolff who taught him a lot about working with criminals. 

I also really like the story which is a dark mystery that has many twists in turn. Through Christian Wolff, we see clues of what is going on piling up until we get to the very end in which we learn what is really going on. I even enjoyed the use of flashbacks to show Christian’s past which shows how he became who he his. We see flashbacks of how his dad made him fight through his disability, both literally and figuratively. 

What also stood out was the cinematography. The film has a dark tint to it like a neo-noir which sets the tone of the film. We have the sense that we are in a city full of corruption and violence even with people trying to stop it. 

The action sequences are also some of the highlights of the film. They are shot in style of Jason Bourne, with quick jump cuts showing each hit that the two fighters lay upon each other. Except the fights are much more brutal and more bloody.

However there were some issues with the film. The biggest problem I had was the weird shifts in tone. At some point, it seems like the movie wants to be a fast paced action mystery with the gritty fight scenes involving Christian Wolff beating up bad guys. 

But at the same time, the film also seems like the director wants the film to be a disability empowerment fantasy with a message about fight through disability. At the beginning of the film, we see a young Christian Wolff trying put together a puzzle and then we find out it is a puzzle of Muhammad Ali. I think the director is trying to symbolize how Christian is fighting through his disability. I honestly feel that the grounded and fanciful tones really do not match.

There are also moments in the first half of the movie in which the pace of the film slows down and drags. Many scenes have characters going through exposition in very monotone voices way longer then they should. At someone point, I got really bored during these scenes. Also I didn't care about the Marybeth Medina subplot since so little time is spent on it.

With that being said, I still was entertained by the Accountant. I think it is a film that is both intense and engaging, but I just thought it could have been better. I know that there will some people who will really not enjoy this film because of the tone shifts and the occasional slow pacing. But if you can deal with that, I think the Accountant is a film that is worth checking out.

Grade: B

Masterminds Review

Masterminds Review

The funniest part of Masterminds was when one of the two people with me in the theater walked out in the middle of the movie and never came back. That should tell you something right there. Masterminds is an incredibly stupid film that doesn't really do many things right. It’s not funny, insightful, romantic, or entertaining. It is just a giant waste of time which is a shame because of all the talent involved with the film. However, sometimes it takes some truly talented people to make a truly terrible movie.

Our story is loosely base on the real life Loomis Fargo Robbery in North Carolina, 1997. It focuses on David Scott Ghantt (Zach Galifianakis) who is one of the best employees in Loomis Fargo. However one day Kelly Campbell (Kristen Wiig), who David has a crush on, asks David for help to rob from Loomis Fargo because he works there. He says yes after she seduces him. Lead by Steve Chambers (Owen Wilson), David and the gang steal 17 million dollars and after that crazy hijinks issues. 

What is really disappointing is the waste of talent. Every character in this movie is either annoying or incomprehensibly stupid. I like Zach Galifianakis but in this movie he has maybe the worst southern accent I have ever heard and for some reason he has the haircut of Benny Andersson from ABBA. Also, David is really hard to root for because he stupidly follows the robbery plan and for one second doesn't think about how this might not end up badly for him. I understand that he was blinded by love but it was pretty obvious that he was being manipulated and anyone could have figured that out. Kelly is pretty unlikable because she is manipulating David’s emotions so she and Steve can get some money. I might have been able to understand her better if we could understand why she is manipulating David but I don't think she has a very good reason. Kate McKinnon plays David’s fiancé and acts in a very mellow and creepy way like she is about to kill someone. It honestly comes across more unsettling than funny or entertaining. Leslie Jones plays a police officer and is barely is in the film. I will say that Owen Wilson is pretty decent as Steve Chambers and I even like Jason Sudeikis as the bounty hunger Mike McKinney. However like many of the characters in the movie they make unbelievably stupid decisions. There is even a twist about Mike McKinney that will make you want to facepalm yourself.

Throughout the film we see a romance developing between David and Kelly. However, it seems that this romance is based on the fact that David thinks Kelly is hot and rebellious. I also think the filmmakers want us to want these two to get together based on the fact that David’s fiancé is a creep. So when there were dramatic scenes between the two characters I really did not care. 

All of this would be acceptable if the movie was funny but it wasn’t. We get fart jokes, sex jokes, poop jokes, pop culture jokes, genitalia jokes, hair jokes, and Mexican stereotype jokes and none of them are funny. Most of the jokes are lazy, easy, and bottom of the barrel gags. There are even long stretches in the film in which there isn't a joke and you just sit there and get bored.

I get the feeling that the filmmakers were trying to make a film sorta in the vein of something like the Wolf of Wall Street. A film in which we watch greedy and manipulative people get money and success, and laugh at their shenanigans. However, that film works because it naturally showed us how greed and the American way made the characters power-hungry and insane, which would lead to some drama and some comedy. In Masterminds, I think it’s trying to do the same thing except that this movie would throw in unfunny gags which feel unnatural and forced.

I did like some things in this movie. Like I said earlier, I like Owen Wilson and Jason Sudeikis. There are even some scenes in which I chucked in, like a scene with Jason Sudeikis and a gun. However, overall Masterminds is a terrible film with really stupid and annoying character that we don't care about and mostly unfunny jokes. Humor is subjective and if you think this is your kind of movie then I guess I can’t stop you. Even though there are much better things to do than see this movie. All I can say is that even though the movie is called Mastermind, it definitely was not made by masterminds.

Grade: D-

The Beatles: Eight Days A Week Review

The Beatles: Eight Days A Week Review 

What can be said about the Beatles that hasn't been said already? They are the greatest and most influential artist of all time and have sold more albums than anybody else. Artists from U2, to Wu Tang Clan, to Ed Sheeran have all claimed that the Beatles were a huge influence on them. Songs like All You Need is Love and Hey Jude are still as popular now as they were when they first came out. They are one of the only bands in which most people can name each of the four members: John, Paul, George, and Ringo. To many and to me The Beatles are bigger than music, they are a part of our lives. So as a huge Beatles fan myself I was excited to see this film. However what this documentary does is focus on an aspect of the Beatles that is really hard to capture, the perspective of the Beatles as a whole. Being a Beatle sounds like a dream come true but after you watch this you see what being a member of the Beatles is truly like. The film is enlightening, exciting, and is a must watch for Beatles fans and even for people who have never heard of the Beatles.

The film was directed by Ron Howard who has directed films like Apollo 13 and A Beautiful Mind. This is his second music documentary as he previously directed the documentary Jay-Z: Made in America. While Ron Howard isn’t considered to be documentary filmmaker he does a wonderful job and seems to really understand the Beatles. 

In my opinion, the best aspect of the documentary is how we get the perspective of the Beatles: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. The film mainly focuses on the Beatles from 1963 to 1966 which is considered the height of Beatles popularity or Beatlemania. Throughout the film, we get video footage, pictures, and audio of each of the Beatles that gives the audience the feeling of chaos and pressure that the Beatles must have felt. We see the Beatles going through a quick cycle of doing TV appearances, concerts, clubs, and writing songs as the Beatles are becoming more popular. At one point they are doing 25 concerts in 30 days and have to go through the cycle in a single day. Ron Howard gives us this perspective visually by making most of the frames of the Beatles and audiences at a close up shot to show how confined the Beatles were to the cycle. We also see the audiences grow and get crazier throughout the film to level that nobody had ever seen. In one scene we learn that 7,000 concert-goers rushed the stage during of the Beatle’s concerts and many people had to go to the hospital. We see plenty of girls screaming and fainting throughout the film. Then we find out that the Beatles have to perform in stadiums with the humongous and uncontrollable crowds the Beatles are getting. It results in the concerts being so loud that the Beatles can’t even hear themselves. I think a lot of credit has to go to sound mixer who is able to let us hear the loudness and insanity of fans while also letting us hear the music. This all leads up to the climax of the film at Shea Stadium in which the Beatles perform in front of 55,600 people which is the biggest and loudest concert the Beatles have ever performed. Ringo even said he had to look at John Lennon’s butt to keep in rhythm. This would eventually lead to the Beatles, especially George, to get sick of touring.  

We also see the Beatles grow and develop as a band. At the beginning, we see the Beatles as a scrappy band from Liverpool, England. Then we introduced to two important figure in the Beatles story, Brian Epstein and George Martin. Brian Epstein was the one who visioned the Beatles as a classy band and George Martin was the one who disciplined them in the studio while also letting them be themselves. We also see this evolution through the Beatles music. As Beatlemania is happening we see the band start writing songs with more simple lyric as they would have less time to write songs. We also get audio of them performing in the studio which was their escape from their tours. Then we see the Beatles experiment with drugs and make more personal songs like Help. Near the end, as the Beatles get sick of doing the same music over and over again, we see the Beatles mix with different sounds and even change their look with Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Near the end of the movie see the Beatles escape their clean image by making an album cover of what looks like dead babies and of course John Lennon’s famous “we’re more popular than Jesus” statement. We also see that the Beatles got closer touring because they could related and stick with each other. In fact, I think once they stopped touring, the band began to drift apart. 

Then we also have context from fans of the Beatles who were there at the time through interviews. We get interviews from people like Sigourney Weaver and Elvis Costello who were fans of the Beatles. There are also shots that Ron Howard shows from the fans perspective to make you feel like you are watching the Beatles live. 

There is even some historical context put into this movie as well. Near the beginning of the film we are shown that it was a somber time with John F. Kennedy shot in 1963 and with the Vietnam War going on. This gives the viewer context into why people gravitated towards the Beatles cheerful music. We also get context into the Civil Rights Movement of the 60s. What made the Beatles unique for the time is they believed that their concerts should not be segregated. That and their humorous personalities made them universally loved. This is best shown in the interviews with Whoopi Goldberg who say she saw the Beatles as colorless and people who she would want to be friends with. Some people even said they were a menace to society in the film.

If I had a problem with the movie it would be that I would have liked to have explored more about the background of each of the individual Beatles more and what drove them. We get some scenes that do that. There is a scene in which we learn that both John and Pauls mom's died which lead to their strong bond and I would have like more scenes like that. 

Other than that I think this is a great documentary that explores the touring days of the Beatles. I think the title Eight Days a Week is perfect because it shows how the Beatles felt while going on tour. They felt like there were eight days a week for them. This is a much see for any Beatles fan or any fan of movies. Now excuse me while I relax after A Hard Days Night and listen to the Beatles Eight Days A Week.

Grade: A

Sing Street Review

Sing Street Review

Sing Street is a absolutely wonderful film that perfectly captures the spirit and joy of self discovery and the power of music. The movie perfectly is a perfect combination of coming of age, teenage angst, and romance while our main character are discovering how to make music. The film is also a really enjoyable throw back to the 80s. It’s sincere, funny, heartwarming, sad, and profound at the same time. I can’t think of the last movie that I connected with so much. I smiled and laughed throughout the film. When I saw this movie I felt like the main character was me. I usually don't like to throw around the phrase timeless classic but for this movie I think it is appropriate. 

The story is about a boy named Conor (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo) who live in Dublin in 1985. He is going through a rough time since his parents fighting all the time and he has to go to a Catholic School named Synge Street CBS, where he is picked on and the principle is a humongous jerk. Then Conor meets a girl named Ralphina (Lucy Boynton) who he falls for. To impress her he tells her that he is a part of a band and that he wants her to be in one of their videos. Because of this Conor forms a band with Eamon (Mark McKenna), who Conor writes the songs with, and some other young musicians. He also gets his friend Darren (Ben Carolan) to become the band’s manager. They name the band Sing Street, which is pretty obvious. With the advice of Conor’s older brother Brendan (Jack Reynor) we see throughout the movie Conor and Sing Street evolve as a band. 

The strongest part of the movie is the writing. The movie is written and directed by John Carney who was in a band and understands the perspective of musicians which is shown in his other movies Once and Begin Again. We see this in Sing Street as we see Conor evolve musically and as a character. At the beginning of the movie Conor is a quiet kid who has no identity and lives in a trashy neighborhood. He also is going to school with bullies and an authoritative Principle. He starts a band mainly to impress Ralphina but he can’t sing and can’t write songs. However throughout the movie we see Conor find an identity through the music that his brother Brendan gives him which includes 80’s bands like Duran Duran and the Cure. We also see Sing Street from a band that can't write songs to a band that can write songs in a heartbeat. John Carney also perfectly shows Conor’s creative process as we see him writing lyrics that reflect his life and we see him figuring out the melodies and rhythms with Eamon. My favorite scene in the movie is when Sing Street are performing and Conor imagines them performing in the prom scene from Back to the Future and it perfectly shows Conor’s creativity. That moment perfectly encapsulates how music is a powerful outlet for an artist. 

Another great aspect of Sing Street is the romance. Conor forms Sings Street because of Ralphina and most of the songs he writes are inspired by her. What makes the romance interesting is that they both learn more about each other by being with each other. At the beginning of the movie Conor doesn't know what he is going to do with his life but Ralphina is planning to be a model and go to London with he boyfriend. Then as Conor grows as a musician Ralphina starts to question what she wants.

Each of the actors do a great job at playing their characters. Ferdia Walsh-Peelo does a great job at playing a kid that discovers himself and so does Lucy Boynton as Ralphina. Both have amazing chemistry together. Jack Reynor also does a great job playing Conor’s slacker brother who was once an aspiring musician but now lives his dream through Conor. Aidan Gillen, who is Petyr Baelish from Game of Thrones, plays Conor’s dad and Maria Doyle Kennedy, who is also an Irish Singer, plays Conor’s mom and they both do a great job. The supporting actors do a great job from Don Wycherley as the principal to Mark McKenna as Eamon. 

The most shocking element of the movie is the fact that the songs are really good. Usually in movies like this the band would do cover songs or generic songs. However Sing Street mostly do original songs and they are all really catchy. Some songs will make you dance like Drive It Like You Stole It, some will make you cry like To Find You, and some will make you smile like Up. 

There are also some really funny moments throughout the movie. In one scene Conor is talking to his brother Brendan about Ralphina’s boyfriend. Then Brendan asks Conor what he was listening to and Conor says Phil Collins. Brendan then say he will not be a problem and says “No woman can truly love a man who listens to Phil Collins”. I laughed so hard when I heard this.

I honestly cannot think of any issues with the movie. I think it is a perfect movie. On the surface it looks like a generic coming of age story but with some great acting, writing, directing, and music it becomes something more. The best way to describe this movie is it is a much better version of The Commitments. To me this movie isn't just about the journey of someone who wanted to form a band but a story about someone fulfilling their dream and discovering themselves. I know that sounds cheesy but I think it is something everyone can relate to. I would recommend this movie to anyone, even to people who don't like musicals. Overall I think Sing Street is charming, mesmerizing, and heartwarming movie and it is by far my favorite movie of the year. If you haven't seen it see it right now. Who knows, the movie might make you want to start a band or want to fulfill your dreams. That’s how I felt after seeing this movie.

Grade: A+