ONCE

FLICK Rock-musical is a label I heard someone use to describe the charmingly modern, romantic film Once. There is remarkable guitar playing, but it’s not hard rock music. There is singing but no one is bursting into song, and there are no choreographed dance numbers. What it does have are two actual singer-songwriters from Dublin playing characters named Guy and Girl, who meet and make beautiful music together – literally and figuratively. Guy (Glen Hansard, a member of the Irish group The Frames) sings and strums his guitar on the streets hoping to make a few bucks and get a big recording break while still repairing vacuum cleaners for his dad. Czech immigrant Girl (Markéta Irglová) sells flowers, plays piano and is instantly drawn to Guy. John Carney's slight script is balanced by his understated directing style, which perfectly complements the two leads as they develop an intimate friendship and become collaborators. Though they are each in the midst of other relationships, it is the interwoven, heartfelt songs that set the tone and reveal what is unsaid. That the actors are relatively unknown also lends realness to the overall simplicity. This modest indie film is quite the opposite of a traditional Hollywood musical – the antithesis of Dreamgirls or Rocky Horror Picture Show – which gives it originality, sincerity, and makes it so likeable. My Score: 8 out of 10


MUSIC
Live performances and videos of songs from Once can be found at FoxSearchlight http://www.foxsearchlight.com/once/


My favorite songs from the film:
“When Your Mind’s Made Up” http://content.foxsearchlight.com/videos/node/1845
“Falling Slowly” http://content.foxsearchlight.com/videos/node/1702