Flora and Son: Film Review
I loved John Carney‘s previous two movies, Sing Street and Begin Again, so I felt very confident about Flora and Son – and he did not let me down.
Given the title, it’s probably no surprise that the film is about Flora (Eve Hewson) and her 14-year-old son Max (Orén Kinlan). Flora, who had Max when she was 17, is frustrated with her life and takes this anger and resentment out on everyone, but especially Max. In turn, Max has become a rebellious thief who has had many encounters with the Gardai. After being urged by the police to find Max a hobby, Flora rescues a beat-up acoustic guitar from a skip. With the assistance of online guitar teacher Jeff (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), Flora and Max bond over music.
I immediately knew that I was going to like Flora and Son from the opening – a slow-mo shot of Flora running to a dance floor with her mate. It perfectly encapsulated the excitement of your favourite song coming on in a club. Within those few seconds, I liked Flora and felt hopeful Carney had delivered another crowd-pleaser.
Just like Sing Street, Begin Again and Once, Carney’s film contains original music to drive the story forward. Admittedly, there isn’t a catchy banger in here like Sing Street’s Drive It Like You Stole It but the songs are all nice enough, with High Life being the most memorable. The songs aren’t supposed to be polished hits because they’ve been made by amateurs, particularly the raps created by Max (Dublin07 is hilarious). Carney generally gravitates towards acoustic music so it was refreshing to see some rap and pop in here too.
In movies, a character like Flora would be shamed for being a bad mother but she is not – she is treated like a real person who is struggling to wrap her head around the route her life has taken. She wants to go out clubbing, have one-night stands and have reckless fun instead of looking after a difficult teenager. She would rather her ex-husband Ian (Jack Reynor) had more custody of Max. It feels almost radical that Flora is given the position typically attributed to a dad (and more accepted by society). Naturally, her perspective on her situation changes as she and Max find a common ground through music.
Flora is written very well and brought to life perfectly by the delightful Hewson. She is permanently pissed off but still has a decent sense of humour. I warmed to Hewson in Bad Sisters and I like her even more now. She will obviously be compared to her father – U2’s Bono – here because of the musical element. Her singing voice is good enough but nothing amazing – but that’s what the character needed. Gordon-Levitt is lovely as the dreamy Jeff but he’s very much a supporting character, despite being the biggest name in the cast.
Flora and Son doesn’t quite reach the heights of Sing Street but I adored the script, the songs and Hewson’s Flora.
On Apple TV+ from Friday 29th September