ONCE in a while...

ONCE is the story of a heart broken man (Glen Hansard), a singer/songwriter, who divides his time between playing music on the sidewalk for change and working for his father fixing vacuum cleaners. One day, while playing his music, he meets a young woman (Marketa Irglova) and they begin a friendship. Together they write and record music forming a beautiful bond in the process.
While the story is very simple, the two characters are complex and their relationship feels real and layered as they get to know each other throughout the week. As you discover the details in both of their past they not only become more to one another, but to the audience as well. You get to go along with the ride of discovery and self-discovery with each of them through the other’s eyes. This is a movie about connections, small moments and finding the joy in your life and having the courage and motivation to go after it.
Music plays a huge part in this simple hour and a half film. It is the core of the connection between these two people. What ONCE captures with such grace is that effect that great music can on you, both emotionally and viscerally. A song can be a powerful, unexplainable force and it is on full display here. I didn’t keep track, but I would say that the songs comprise about a third of the film and if the songs themselves did not work, the movie would fail. Luckily the songs in the film (which were written and performed by the two leads) are very much like the film… simple, beautiful, filled with heart and emotion.
The story of ONCE is a simple one, but the feelings that it elicits are as complex as the characters that it presents. This is one of the most beautiful movies that I have seen in quite some time and it is difficult to explain what touched me about it without discussing specific moments, but talking about these moments in detail would spoil them.
One moment in particular that stands out as possibly my favorite scene in any movie this year is the first time that they play together. It is a simple scene with just a few shots and a song, but the entire movie is captured through their singing, their emotion and their connection. Seeing two people come together in this way for the first time can best be described as magical.
This is a tiny movie that was shot for a mere $150,000 and has landed in the middle of the summer blockbusters, so please take the time if it is playing anywhere near and treat yourself to this incredible film. I believe that if you like music, movies, love stories or just great characters, you will love this movie.