John Carney is one of my favourite directors working today. Once, Begin Again, and Sing Street are all amazing in my opinion, with Sing Street actually being one of my favourite films of all time. So if you think I might be a little too biased before watching his latest film, Flora and Son, maybe take this review with a grain of salt. Briefly playing in theatres and now streaming on Apple TV+, I finally got around to watching it and it may just be my second favourite film of his. It's an irresistible story full of heart, but what I found added to the story is that they are all flawed characters. Here's why I absolutely recommend this one.
Flora (Eve Hewson) can't get her life in order. She is divorced and dealing with her delinquent son Max (Orén Kinlan). With her son having an affection for creating music on his computer, she tries to buy his love with a guitar. Not wanting to take the gift, she ends up taking virtual guitar lessons herself and befriends her teacher Jeff (Joseph Gordon-Levitt). Their bond is what takes this film from start to finish, but her relationship with her son is the true heartbeat of the story.
Authentic human stories are usually what I gravitate most towards, but the fact that director John Carney always revolves his stories around music is why I love his films so much. Much like how I thoroughly appreciate films about same-sex couples or films about ideas, products, or beliefs that are not the same as my own, I do not understand how musicians/artists create what they create sometimes. I always latch onto what I don't fully understand because I wish to learn more about it. Sing Street was my favourite film of 2016 not only because I loved the characters and the story that emotionally moved me, but it was all of the catchy music and how it was put together that elevated it. When a story interests me that involves things I don't see or do on a daily basis, I'm always enthralled. Sure, I love watching every Superhero movie and the next big Blockbuster, but it's the small intimate stories, regardless of the subject matter, that always seem to stand out as my favourites.
Flora and Son is a very simple film when you break it down, but the execution was great. I think there might be an emotional beat or two missing and I wish that a couple of storylines completed themselves slightly better, but these are honestly just nitpicks in a film I otherwise thought was outstanding. I started watching the film and really found myself disliking most of the characters and their actions, but I grew to learn more about them and ended up loving all of them by the end for different reasons. That is what a great film can do. Sing Street is endlessly rewatchable in my opinion and while Flora and Son isn't as infectious and fun, I can see myself revisiting this one quite a few times. If you're in the mood to feel good, this may just be the best feel-good film you'll find in 2023.
