I want to start off this review by thanking my good friend Chris Blanchett for introducing me to the world of Once. He is the one who suggested I check out this soundtrack from a movie called Once, this little nothing of a movie that completely captured his heart. So, Chris, thank you!
If you’ve never heard of Once or don’t know what I am talking about, then that’s great! Here at ToC, I get the privilege of introducing you to the wonderful and amazing little world of Once, a dramatic, romantic, musical filmed entirely around 2 characters, “Guy” (played by Irishmen Glen Hansard) and “Girl” (played by Czechoslovakian Markéta Irglová) in and around the streets of Dublin. This little movie that came out of nowhere utterly captured my heart with warmth, reality, authenticity, humility, and true love…all centered around some beautiful love ballads written by Glen and Marketa.
This movie shouldn’t work. It’s filmed on a shoestring budget with one camera starring very inexperienced actors, and yet it brims with small pleasures that pay major dividends. The story is simple, Hansard stars as a Dublin songwriter who takes his guitar to the streets and sings himself hoarse to people who could care less. He barely makes anything from playing, but that isn’t his goal, he just wants to sing his songs. Supplementing his non-existing singing career is his job as a Hoover vacuum repair man with his Dad. Can you get any more real or depressing than that? His life seems to be heading nowhere until he meets a pretty Czech pianist (Marketa Irglova) who gives him the guts to quit his dad’s repair shop and start finding the bucks to make a recording. That’s it for the story. It’s a bittersweet love story that has Hansard’s gorgeous music at the center with an aching romance for the soul.
There is something so hauntingly mesmerizing about the music that pervades this entire film. It’s music in its rawest form, no studio extras, no synthesizing, just emotion, heart, and a broken guitar with lyrics that paint a sad and bare picture of heartache. The film is driven by and depends on the power of the songs for its heart and they become indispensable towards the end of the film. It’s the uniting power of music that keeps this movie together, without Hansard’s songs this movie doesn’t work, it would fall away into oblivion just like every other small film. It would still be a good film if the songs played over the action as like in every other movie, but the fact that they drive the story, the fact that both Glen and Marketa actually sing them on film at the most poignant times in the story is what makes this film GREAT!
You can’t afford to miss this movie. In a world full of dramatizing and analyzing and “blockbustering” love, this is a quiet little film that shows the reality of love, the pain of love, the joy of love, the awkwardness of love…the song of love. Writer-director-musician Jon Carney (he played bass in Glen’s band “The Frames” until 1993) has made a sweet film, which elevates itself to an entirely different plane of film musicals, by using the simplicity of plot, character, and style to craft a sort of cinematic poem. After you see this movie, you will immediately want to buy the soundtrack and check out Glen’s band “The Frames…” because that’s what I did. Of course, I already had the soundtrack, I just moved it to the top of my iPod in listening priority.
We rarely fall in love at the movies enough, but this is one to adore.
Content Warning: Rated R for language. They use the “F” word as much as we would use the word “the” in a sentence. The funny thing is that because of their accents, it doesn’t seem as harsh sounding. Be warned, there is a lot of language, but believe me, it did not take away from the movie, it actually fit within the context of the story. It was more cute than harsh…you’ll just have to see for yourself.
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Donna
I had never heard of this movie until one of it’s songs won the academy award..your review makes me want to run out and rent it..
June 29, 2008 at 4:47 pm
Ryan
Just wanted to say that I’m a total fanboy for the Frames. And that the Once Soundtrack is one of the best albums I’ve discovered in the last two years.
June 30, 2008 at 7:17 am
Dan
I will AMEN to that Ryan! While writing my review, I had it rocking in the background and in fact I had to stop for a bit while I belted out “Lies.”
Inspiration baby!!!
June 30, 2008 at 8:07 am
Chris
Dan-Your review was beautiful! I hope that people will support this movie to show that heart and passion is all you need to create a successful movie,and a heart wrenching soundtrack.
July 15, 2008 at 8:06 pm
Dan
Thank you Chris! If more people made movies like Once, I really think our world might be better…just a thought.
July 16, 2008 at 7:55 am
Lee Hoover
Love this movie…my friend suggested I see it when it was in theaters. So glad I did…I’ve since bought the DVD and watched it five times…it never gets old and the music is awesome!
July 18, 2008 at 8:47 am
James
So Dan…I see you discovered Once. I saw it four times in the theater alone. I can’t believe I am just now discovering your site buddy. I miss you and will check out other reviews later and maybe throw you a few other movies to review…since I am in the theology and film field these days.
September 22, 2008 at 3:18 pm
Dan
James, it’s so good to see you buddy! I appreciate you dropping by and expressing your love for Once. Vivian and I watched it at home twice in a row the first time we got it from Netflix. It truly moved me. The soundtrack is on my “most played” playlist on my iPod.
I look forward to hearing more of your thoughts and opinions on film and theology!
September 23, 2008 at 6:48 am
andimazlan
Nice film. Inspirational songs. Watched it more that 5 times. I’m going to write my reviews for the film also.
June 18, 2009 at 11:11 pm
Steven
We watched this in Intro to Communications and I immediately bought the soundtrack. It was just far too incredible to pass up. I think if this had been an American film, it would’ve failed. Because it would’ve ben driven by all the wrong aspects of a relationship.
November 28, 2009 at 10:38 pm
Dan
That’s so cool that you got to watch this movie in CLASS!! This is a movie that I actually heard about after I had the soundtrack in hand.
That’s a good point about this being a success because it wasn’t American. Who do you think would have played the parts?
November 29, 2009 at 12:17 pm
Steven
Hmmm… that’s an interesting question.Given that the parts were assigned partially for musical talent, it’s a tough call. I shudder to think what it would’ve looked like with Kanye West and Britney Spears in the lead roles, but that’s what America is coming to…
In all seriousness, though… I’d love to see Jack’s Mannequin frontman Andrew McMahon as “Guy.” He’s an extremely talented musician and I feel like he’d have about the same screen presence. As far as “Girl” goes, I’m not huge on female artists these days. Any thoughts?
December 3, 2009 at 10:53 am
Steven
Side note: Andrew McMahon has already starred in a movie. It was a documentary he helped film about himself during his battle with leukemia. It’s called Dear Jack and I kinda sorta really want to see it.
December 16, 2009 at 11:47 pm