ONCE
****
R (for language)
1 hr. 28 min.
written & directed by: John Carney
produced by: Martina Niland
I've been wanting to see this movie since it's release. Actually, I've been in a hurry to see this movie since it's release cuz I know that despite rave reviews, movies about "guy meets girl" usually have limited and short releases. What attracted me? I heard it was about an Irish singer-songwriter/guitarist (the "guy") with emotional baggage who meets a struggling Czech flower seller/musician (the "girl") while performing on a Dublin street. The two discover they are kindred spirits through their music and much more. With that premise, I was sold. I heard that the music was incredible too but most of all it's just hard to find a realistic love story in cinema lately.
This is a love story with real characters in it. There's nothing entirely cinematic about these characters, these are just ordinary people you might see or meet anywhere. No insanely, knock-out gorgeous people here. No Jessica Biel falling for Adam Sandler antics goin' on here. The movie benefits from that premise (and promise) and as well as a documentary, hand-held camera feel with an obviously extremely low budget. There is pure intentions here at the film's heart and a creative passion for musicianship, which is perfect because if there was anything added the film would just come across as rather pretentious.
The Guy (Glen Hansard) is a working-class Irish dreamer, plugging away in his father's vacuum repair shop by day and hitting the streets to perform his songs at night. During one of his street corner concerts, Guy meets The Girl (Marketa Irglova), who is smitten with Guy's guitar playing and touched by his lyrics. After some flirtatious pushing and pulling, Guy asks Girl to form a makeshift band, fashioning a tentative bond between the two that skirts around love, but never seems to settle, much to Guy's frustrations and heartache. What really sold me on "Once" were the intimate moments between the characters. It just all seemed so real and I cannot think of anything else to describe it....just real. You can tell there was little getting in the way of this film, no studio interference whatsoever is felt here. The end product being a soft, trembling feature that believes in the magic of infatuation and silent agony of unrequited and uncertain love. It's an open wound of stifled emotions, and I was quite taken with the interesting ways it attempts to portray the unstoppable connection between man and woman, here employing the rickety wood bridge of music. 
Hansard's (lead singer of the Irish band The Frames) only other noticeably role was that of a guitarist in 1991's "The Commitments" which is actually to his benefit. It's much more effective to have an unnoticeable actor perform in this role and Hansard being a musician it helps the passion and reality of the character and storytelling. I was blown away with this being Irglova's debut acting role. Just amazing! She responds to those around her naturally and has an astute listening ear. Both actor's performances add a certain freedom to the film. It's obvious that director John Carney likes to rely on the freshness of the talent, trusting their unease with acting will bring out the kindly awkwardness between the characters. This technique works; slowly sucking in the viewer as the two grow more comfortable around each other, especially when they create music. I'll go ahead and say that some may not like Hansard's songwriting or musical delivery. I loved it but then again I'm a big fan of acoustic singer-songwriter work. Regardless of a viewer's opinions of the music, the passion behind the tunes cannot be denied and speaks volumes about the characters. It really is impossible to turn a cold shoulder to the romantic pining blossoming between the characters when they combine their voices, edging "Once" closer to the musical genre at times. Many have said that this film plays like a modern musical but for me the music is just another star, and inevitable player that progresses the story instead of stopping the story for mere exposition. There is character and story growth while the music is played, it's not just video montage fluff. Does the movie have a happy ending? Let's just say it has a real ending and the "happy" is seen in the realism portrayed throughout the movie. 
My wife was a lil off-put by some of the dizzying hand-held type camera work but other than that she really loved it. It almost feels unfair or reaching to call out the technical limitations of the film when it really is so sweet and humble. Apparently, it was shot with a commercial DV camera, therefore all the jittery long lenses and camouflaged camera placement to brings that raw, unfettered look at two souls finding perfect sync. Admittedly, it keeps the film baggy; free from succumbing to the pressures of the meet cute and assorted romantic nonsense. Carney may be victim of becoming a lil too enamored by the cinematographic limitations, and it's possibly he loses some excruciatingly important scenes to darkness and lousy focus. But, that's nit-picky to the overall package. I don't really need to see all the moments of emotional longing and heartache, as long as I can feel it.
I liked the quiet moments in this film just as much as the musical scenes. There's a moment shared between Guy and his father (Bill Hodnett) where they sit in a cramped kitchen and listen peacefully to Guy's demo. Because the character of his father has only been developed slightly, we don't really know what his reaction to the demo will be. His father has already been seen as kind and quiet but he seemed to have a permanent frown on his face. But his reaction is one of subtle sweetness, and it sums up the movie beautifully. This is a warm picture intended for soft hearts who appreciate the ache of attraction. I loved it and consider it my Top 10 of 2007 already. It's too bad it's a movie that will most likely be hard to find in your area theaters. If you're looking for a film to movie you, there's an exceptionally sincere, expressive quality here that is universally appealing.