Robert Arkins portrays "Jimmy," a man with an inventive nature who finds himself unfulfilled by Dublin’s music scene. Seeking change, he and his friend Johnny Murphy, known as “The Lips,” hold auditions to form a band—one aiming for a distinctive sound that would stand apart from what they view as commonplace. The initial audition process is genuinely funny, sending some particularly tone-deaf hopefuls into an unfortunate style clash. Eventually, they gather together ten people who seem completely unlike each other. Bringing these varied and energetic personalities together proves difficult, but surprisingly, the music of artists such as Mack Rice ("Mustang Sally"), Al Green & Teenie Hodges, and a collection of well-known American soul musicians provides them with a shared understanding and goal as they slowly begin to earn recognition from a doubtful audience and an even more pessimistic industry. It's safe to say that "Lips" and "Jimmy" aren’t popular within the diplomatic community, so preventing these individuals from occasionally erupting into conflict is quite a challenge. As someone from Glasgow who has lived through certain times, I understand how music offered many people a way out of poverty—and Danny Boyle and Roddy Doyle collaborate effectively to tell a believable story about people whose aspiration isn't to receive a Grammy award but simply to have enough money for their children’s basic needs. The band members are an assortment of memorable and vibrant personalities, some easy to like, others not so much; however, when they perform live, the audience starts moving and any reservations disappear. At least temporarily! There’s a palpable sense of genuine ability here, flaws and all—and for nearly two hours it's a captivating film that brought to mind the fact that most bands once began with a talent search process that didn’t involve someone like Simon Cowell.

Source on TMDB