Making music has been an important part of John Carney’s life and that common thread runs through several of his previous films; “Once”, a romance between a struggling Dublin singer/songwriter and his love for a married Czech musician, “Begin Again”, about a talented, young singer discovered by a floundering record executive, and “Sing Street”, a coming-of-age story of a young boy’s attempt to catch the eye and heart of a girl by starting his own band.
With “Flora and Son”, his first feature film in seven years, Carney not only directed but also wrote the script, original songs and produced.
The story is engaging, the actors brilliant, the Irish accent irresistible, and the music so much fun. This film was one of my personal favorites from Sundance 2023.
Eve Hewson, daughter of Bono and Ali Hewson, plays Margot, a rough-edged single parent living in Dublin. A mom since she was 17, she struggles to raise and reconnect with her rebellious teenage son. Max, played by Orén Kinlan, refuses the gift of a second-hand guitar, so she decides to learn to play herself.
She locates Jeff, an on-line instructor played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt. They get off to a shaky start but eventually create beautiful music together. Gordon-Levitt, who starred in the 2009 breakout Sundance hit “500 Days of Summer”, read the script and even though he is not a musician, lobbied the director with a letter hoping to convince Carney to consider him for the part.
Although the characters are flawed and at times unlikable, their hearts shine through and humor has a way of inspiring empathy and keeping the audience engaged and cheering them on.
Even though Margot’s musical world looks and sounds much different from the mix-master rap video world in which her son lives, the music and their love and respect for each other lead to transformations for not only their relationship, but their lives.
The Sundance audience clapped along with the music as the credits rolled. Carney and the main cast were all here for the Q & A which was a real hoot. No wonder the dialogue he writes is so witty and clever.
“Flora and Son” is rated R and runs 1 hour and 37 delightful minutes. It is rated R for language throughout, sexual references and brief drug use. It was released in select theatres on September 22 and will be available on Apple TV+ on Sept. 29.