We look at the latest from John Carney and then go back to the start of it all, the musical love story "Once."
FLORA & SON (B) - With sass and confidence, the cast of this corny underdog story overcomes a thrum of shmaltz to sell the hell out of a heartfelt film. Ireland's John Carney -- known for his musical dramedies like "Once" (see below) and "Sing Street" -- approaches middle age with a healthy amount of cynicism.
Eve Hewson stars as Flora, a frustrated part-time mom searching for a purpose in her disappointing existence in Dublin. On a whim, she buys an acoustic guitar for her teenage son, Max (Oren Kinlan), and when he rudely snubs the offer, she searches online for tutorials for herself. She meets Jeff (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) an L.A. singer-songwriter who charges $20 a session by video.
Flora is foul-mouthed and forward, and soon Jeff -- a New Age nerd -- develops a soft spot for his working-class client. Meantime, it turns out that young Max does like music; it's just that he prefers techno and hip hop, dropping some dorky but charming rhymes. Flora's ex, Kev (Paul Reid), is actually a bass player in a dormant band, and he serves as a fine foil to Flora, who still knows how to push her ex's buttons.
Carney unravels his story in classic fairytale fashion. Hewson's sharp edge keeps this away from the territory of cloying and sentimental. But just barely. Gordon-Levitt finds depth as the lonely failed songsmith. The tunes -- written by Carney and Scotsman Gary Clark -- are perfectly understated. Flora's dramatic learning curve might elicit an eyeroll, but enjoy the rich dialogue and the cast's commitment to a smart script full of heart.
ONCE (2007) (A-minus) - Carney started out with this drama that has a documentary feel, about a Dublin busker who meets another melancholy soul and makes a musical connection. Glen Hansard (of the band the Frames) is the Guy, and Marketa Iglova is the Girl he meets-cute on the street, and the two stars wrote most of the songs -- separately and together -- that are featured prominently in the film, often played in full.
Guy is getting over a girlfriend who has since moved to London, and Girl is a single mom, an immigrant whose estranged husband is back in the Czech Republic. She plays piano (a music store lets her noodle there during the lunch hour), and the two communicate through songs and collaboration. She is sensible and adorable, and he's a bundle of edgy heartbreak seeking release through cathartic screeds.
Carney shoots in guerrilla street style, in what looks like crisp digital, and establishes a space where Iglova and Hansard can genuinely collaborate. The thin plot is essentially a will-they-or-won't-they romantic comedy during their week together. The sweetness extends beyond this improbable pairing, to her mother and to his father. Guy and Girl are in a bit of limbo, and their happenstance time together not only makes their purgatory bearable, but it also bears fruit in some gorgeous music.
BONUS TRACK
The signature tune from "Once," the anthemic love song "Falling Slowly":
No comments:
Post a Comment