FLORA AND SON [Apple TV+]

Flora and Son  is a 2023 musical comedy-drama film written and directed by  John Carney , featuring original songs by Carney and  Gary Clark . The film stars  Eve Hewson ,  Jack Reynor , Orén Kinlan, and  Joseph Gordon-Levitt . John Carney is best known for his films  Once ,  Begin Again , and  Sing Street . 



Flora, a struggling single mother living in Dublin, is having trouble with her estranged son Max, a rebellious teenage petty thief. Flora finds Max a hobby when she rescues an old guitar and, with the help of a Los Angeles-based online guitar teacher, ignites a love of music-making in both her son and herself.



Eve Hewson plays Flora as a feisty, kick-ass woman who struggles with her role of mother. Flora has always been a rebel and that attitude has rubbed off on her teenage son, Max. But, together, mother and son find common ground to build a productive and loving relationship through working together by song writing.



My only quibble is that for a movie based on music, the actual songs in this movie seemed weak to me. Nothing memorable, nothing stirring. While the actors and story line are first-rate, the music is not. Worth watching for the scenes in Dublin, too! GRADE: B+