Writer/director filmmakers are a rare breed these days.
There’s the bigger pack of directors who co-write films, but the lone wolf creator isn’t as widespread as it once was. A studio’s control can be limiting in that aspect, something that John Carney has largely avoided. His films are low-key and touching without the maximum effort, kind of like the catchy songs that help assemble the soundtracks that play in our cars for years.
Once and Begin Again are sweet stories mixed with incredible music, with the latter being more edgy and ruffled. Sing Street showcased a brotherly love bound by music, and the mother/son dynamic is the centerpiece of Carney’s latest, Flora and Son.
Released in limited theatrical fashion last week and hitting Apple TV Plus’ streaming service this Friday, the hook of this cinematic beat once again bounds music and hardship together for a possible reconnection. A mother and son’s connection is assured at birth, but sometimes can rot and become severed over time.
The need to impose the will of the other, knowing their direct DNA bond to be a trigger-happy way to hurl insults in each other’s direction. If this movie has a real pulse, it’s the scenes between Flora (Eve Hewson) and her son Max, played by relative newcomer, Oren Kinlan. An overgrown child still trying to be sweet to others, Hewson’s fiery single mom is quick to dance and will climb into a dumpster to retrieve a guitar for her son.
His rebellion is built around a love for a girl who lives in their apartment building of "shoebox” homes and music. Max’s synth and keyboard talents come together with his mother’s newfound guitar lessons, creating some nice vibes in a movie that won’t waste your time.
Is it a good movie? Yes.
Is it a great movie, running in the lane of Begin Again? No.
Flora and Son builds up a comforting yet edgy (this is DUBLIN!) aesthetic that includes some great scenes, but it lacks a magic that makes a film cling to the viewer’s soul. Carney has built up a reputation for stirring the chests and brains of filmgoers, so the bar is at a decent height. I walked out of his latest feature pleased yet slightly let down.
That’s not to say you should skip it. If Flora and Son has an engine, it’s Hewson. She’s the heart of the tale, a woman who was rerouted in her teenage years and is desperately trying to keep it together--and put something new together with her guitar coach (Joseph Gordon-Levitt).
Hewson talks fast, dances faster, and has a hard knock beauty that carries the more uneven parts of the movie. A climatic concert is bolstered by her energy, giving life to a scene that could have flopped. The supporting cast does their job, specifically Gordon-Levitt and Jack Reynor (Flora’s ex), but it’s not really noteworthy.
The music isn’t as catchy, but it doesn’t need to be. The movie works and succeeds on its lead star’s stamina, and should settle in after viewing. There’s a part of me that was left wanting more.
At the same time, I am happy to see writer/director filmmakers still putting out personal work that moves them. Parts of Flora and Son moved me, but the whole movie was missing something signature to make it truly memorable.
ncG1vNJzZmickZ65urDOrJyonpKqs6etjaysm6uklrCsesKopGioX5u5sL7AZpinnF2ovK950Z6top2nYrK3sYyhnLCrn6N6qr8%3D