Sing Street

"The wish-fulfilment film is one of the trickier genres to grasp. Make the reality too tough and the wish won't take flight; but make the fulfilment part too easy and it just looks like lies. Master of the bitter-sweet musical, having made the glorious Once and the surprisingly non-shit Begin Again, Irish writer/director John Carney gets the balance 90% right with this sparky teen romance, set in dreary 1980s Dublin."

"The truest and most tearduct-tugging relationship here is that between Conor and his lank-haired college-dropout brother..."

"Like an updated The Commitments in rouge (liberally applied), Sing Street nails the details."

"The movie understands how enchantment and disappointment go together, like the A and B sides of a single that won't leave the turntable."

"Did you like The Commitments? Did you like We Are the Best!!? Well, Sing Street isn’t as good as either of those two, but it’s still pretty terrific."

"There is a sense that this is Once for teenagers, likely to spawn many a high school musical version in the future..."

"This bittersweet Irish-set tale is sure to strike a chord with anyone who remembers the thrill of being young and in love."

"The most romantic movie you'll find anywhere these days, brimming over with music, fun and the thrill of first love."

"A sweetly funny, charming and poignant depiction of this very specific time in life - at once universal and specific - when anything seems possible. And with killer pop tunes to boot."

"The young nonprofessional actors are a fresh, natural bunch, even if the bandmembers might have benefited from more individual character development."

"Just as with "Once" and "Begin Again," Sing Street will make you laugh, cry and leave you humming its songs for days."