Once (2007)

As he is performing in the street one night, a struggling musician (played by Glen Hansard) meets a quick-witted young Czech woman (Markéta Irglová) who takes an instant interest in his music. When he finds out that she is a skilled pianist with a beautiful voice, the two begin spending increasing amounts of time together writing and recording songs. Their initial acquaintance quickly develops into a musically-charged romance. However, we soon come to find this is not the first time either has been in love: Hansard’s character is still dealing with the heartbreak imputed on him from a previous girlfriend, while Irglová’s character has a child with her estranged husband, still living in the Czech Republic. Upon hearing his story, the she encourages her new friend to go after his past lover, whom he clearly still bears feelings for. He plans to do this until he finds that he has come to love his fellow musician. While they are recording a demo in the studio one night, our male protagonist asks her if she’d like to go live in London with him, a proposition she finds tempting.

The thing that appealed most to me about the film is the simplicity of it all (the main characters don’t even have names, and are instead credited as “guy” and “girl”). It’s not a thinking movie, it's a feeling movie, relying on the viewer’s emotions and reactions. The music of the film is absolutely phenomenal, each song fitting perfectly in with the corresponding imagery, like a series of mini-music videos strung together by a powerful storyline. In fact, at the 2007 Academy Awards, the melodious “Falling Slowly” scooped up the Oscar for Best Original Song and an instant download onto iPods across the globe. The songs aren’t those that you simply hear; rather, they’re an experience to savor.

The chemistry between the two lead actors is so strong that it’s hard to believe neither had much acting experience prior to Once (not to mention their real-life, eighteen-year age difference). The backdrop of Dublin was brilliant, although I am ashamed to admit that subtitles were necessary for me to catch all of the dialogue through the actors’ thick European accents. The film has obtained an R rating, but there is no sex or violence, and if you can deal with more than a few F-bombs, the experience is well worth it.

Once is a film that you should not miss. It proves that a film doesn’t have to have a huge budget, well-known movie star leads, or a plethora of special effects to hit a chord with viewers and critics alike: The only essentials are some sincerely talented actors, a moving soundtrack, a powerful script, proper execution, and the film is sure to be one that won’t soon be forgotten.