PORTLAND, Maine — [Editor's note: This article is a critical analysis of a film and does not represent the views of NEWS CENTER Maine, but that of the author.]
Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars in a new Irish musical drama about an exhausted mother trying to raise a troubled son while learning to play guitar from an online instructor who lives in Los Angeles.
"Flora and Son" is playing in some theaters Friday and will stream on Apple TV+ on Sept. 29.
Story
The story for "Flora and Son" isn't all that complicated. Eve Hewson plays Flora, a mother separated from her husband. Flora works as a babysitter in Dublin. She shares custody of her son Max (Orén Kinlan) with an ex-partner, Ian (Jack Reynor).
Flora spends her nights at clubs dancing, getting drunk, and hooking up with random guys she brings home. Her teen son doesn't respect her and is often verbally abusive, while her former partner looks down on her every chance he gets.
Walking home from work one day, Flora spots a trash pile and sees an acoustic guitar sticking out. She takes it to a music shop, has it repaired, and offers it to her son as a late birthday gift. He immediately rejects it.
Things change when Flora decides to keep the guitar and learn to play. She signs up for lessons from an online instructor from Los Angeles named Jeff (Gordon-Levitt). While their initial meeting doesn't go great, Flora is determined to learn the instrument, and the pair do eventually hit it off as Jeff teaches her about music, and she helps him with his songs.
Gradually, Flora starts trying to connect with Max, helping him create a music video, making songs together, and helping the teen to apply himself more.
But it's still a bumpy road as Ian continues to neglect his duties as a father, Flora develops a crush on her music instructor who lives across the world, and Max gets arrested for theft and sent to juvenile detention.
Flora has to figure out what music means to her, if she can truly be the mother her son needs, and if there's any chance a relationship with Jeff can work.
Analysis
Apple TV+ has a surprising success rate with its movies, from dramas like "Cha Cha Real Smooth" to cartoons like "Wolfwalkers." And "Flora and Son" is no exception to that rule. Director and writer John Carney has carved out a meaningful story about a struggling woman who wants her life to mean more while learning to be content with what she has.
It's a film that shows relationships are never perfect, and some take tons of work. Even then, they might not be as smooth as people want.
Hewson is exceptional in her lead role. Her character is broken and flawed, but she plays Flora so well with such a scrappy determination that audiences can't help but hope she'll find a way to succeed with her broken family.
Likewise, Gordon-Levitt excels at playing a charming, defeated musician trying to help this mother from across the globe. And he has the difficult task of accomplishing all that while spending most of his time in a Zoom call on a computer screen. But he nails it regardless.
The story can be heavy and bittersweet, but there's a surprising bit of humor in this film's, at times, crass tones and dialogue. But what takes this movie from good to great is its music.
Gary Clark and John Carney cooked up some inspired, yet simple music with the most beautiful lyrics that'll have listeners nodding along as Jeff and Flora play.
"Flora and Son" also manages to show its story from some truly creative shots and views. The best scene comes when Flora takes her laptop and guitar to the roof of her apartment building to talk with Jeff for hours and play together under the moon. The greatest shot comes during that scene as Jeff appears in person for a while, only to walk off-screen as the camera pans to reveal he was still in the Zoom chat the entire time.
The movie is filled with nice little touches like that, each helping to endear it to the heart.
Also playing this weekend
Action movie fans can catch the newest movie in "The Expendables" franchise. It's called "Expend4bles." Here's the synopsis:
Armed with every weapon they can get their hands on, the Expendables are the world's last line of defense and the team that gets called when all other options are off the table.
To see which movies are playing at a theater near you, click here.
For more movie thoughts, follow Courtney Lanning on Twitter here.
