The pretty Irish ballad of Flora And Son on Apple TV

Since Once, a portrait of the artistic and then sentimental love at first sight of two Dublin street musicians, filmmaker John Carney (Sing Street) has continued to exalt the vitality and creativity of the Irish music scene. Unveiled at Sundance where it thrilled festival-goers and Apple buyers, Flora and Son continues this vein with a more modern and cheeky touch.

Single mother from Dublin of a teenager she had out of high school, Flora (Eve Hewson) maintains a distant relationship with this son who stole her youth and is well on his way to ending up in a reformatory. To make matters worse, Max's father, a bass player who enjoyed a little fame in the 2000s, does not shine with his involvement.

When Max refuses the guitar, found in a trash can, that Flora gives him for his birthday, the thirty-year-old steals the instrument from him. This night owl, who appreciates nightclub vibes more than pop folk, finds an online teacher based in Los Angeles (Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Inception). The beginnings of learning are rough. But willingly or unwillingly, she forms a bond with her music master. She even sets out to improve her melodies and lyrics, even though she only knows the basic chords. Despite the Atlantic that separates them, the chemistry is immediate.

This loving friendship and their compositions will allow this angry girl to project herself into the future and find a common language with her son who strums on Garageband and raps. John Carney nicely sketches the working-class neighborhoods of Dublin, its somewhat gray public housing estates which give the impression of being trapped in a monotonous life. Far from the postcard side of Temple Bar and the opulent Georgian houses of Merrion Square, even if these tourist areas make an appearance in the film. The Irish accent resonates in all its glory: fast, hissing cadences.

Cadet of U2 founder Bono, Eve Hewson confirms after Apple TV's dark comedy Bad Sisters that she is more than a star seed and "daughter of". She is perfectly at ease performing the electro-folk soundtrack composed by Carney and Gary Clark, frequent collaborator of Australian singer Natalie Imbruglia (Torn). The duo signs a handful of simple, acoustic and a little naive titles like the characters.

Flora and Son is not concerned with making hits formatted for radio and listening platforms. This charming ballad sublimes above all the redemptive and therapeutic power of music.