A real joy

Rating: 8/10 (29 July 2017)

A teenage boy in 1980's Dublin forms a band to impress a girl. His discovery of music helps him negotiate his chaotic domestic situation and the tough Catholic school he attends. A really interesting blend of well-told coming-of-age drama with music from the 80's. As our protagonist hears new styles of music, his style and the type of music he writes changes to reflect his new interests, so while he starts writing poppy tunes, he's soon writing music influenced by The Cure, Spandau Ballet and Hall & Oates. It works primarily because the songs written by director Carney are all really good and reasonable facsimiles of music from this time and place.