Movie Review: Once

News Type: Event — Wed Dec 19, 2007 2:19 PM EST

entertainment, music, movies, reviews, movie-review, look-again, once, current-look, glen-hansard, the-frames

You probably didn't get a chance to see this when it was in theaters - so see it now!

This review was written for Look Again, newsvine's premiere movie group.

Once just came out on DVD yesterday and unless someone speaks up it may fly under your radar. It didn't get a whole lot of press during its limited theater run and I had to dig to find out when it was coming out on disc.

I'm going to say this once, and I'm going to get it out of the way at the top of this article in case you don't read all the way through: rent or buy this movie. It's not the feel-good hit of the year or the sweetest love story you'll ever see or the most amazing music movie ever made, though I've heard it called all of those things.

Instead, it's low-budget Irish film about a street musician (Frames' frontman Glen Hansard) and the immigrant Czech girl he meets (his real-life girlfriend and collaborator, Markéta Irglová ). To call it a love story is to diminish what it's about - the stakes are at once too simple and too complex for such a standard label.

Look, here's the story: lonely guitarboy meets lonely pianogirl. They hang out in piano shop and jam together. There are various reasons why it would be difficult for them to have any sort of romantic involvement. He decides to leave town, but before he goes he wants to cut a high-quality demo disc. They rent out a studio, find a backup band and cut a disc together.

That's the movie.

What makes this film work so well, though, is the sheer earnest sincerity of it. These are people who love their art, who love their lives and who love each other. There's a depth of feeling that is constantly undercut - by their backstories, by a language barrier, by their poverty and by their devastating loneliness. When they make music together, though, it's like we can see all of that fall away and there's nothing at all between them. And maybe that's why this film works so well - it shows us some sad people dealing with serious personal problems, and then it shows us how none of that means @!$%# in the face of something beautiful.

And the great characterization doesn't stop with these two - consider his father, an old widower who runs a hoover repair shop. He's quiet, serious, loves his son - and he hangs back, quietly understanding and empathizing. When he hears the demo disc, there is pride bursting off his face - "So, when are you off, then?" he asks. It's such a touching moment and it comes out of nowhere, but it gives testament to the faith the man has had in his son over all the years. We get his inner state brought out through this music - and he's an incredibly minor character.

We get her neighbors - a few other guys from her building who speak very little English and swing by regularly to watch TV. We know almost nothing about them but we instantly understand the dynamics involved in her living space.

This is an easy film to watch, it has some lovely music, it has compelling characters and in the end it humbly urges you to think about what's important in life. In short, it's a movie you should probably pick up. If you do - or if you've already seen it - please swing by and let us know what you thought.

This review is copyright 2007 for Mykola Bilokonsky. Any unauthorized duplication is prohibited, but if you want to link me I'd be ecstatic and if you want to duplicate me I'll likely consent. For more reviews of books, movies and music, click here.

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5.0

{"commentId":1286381,"authorDomain":"pobox522rlyeh"}

Smiling Jack

Sounds interesting. I don't believe I've ever heard of this movie anywhere, and I frequently hear even about independent releases.

{"commentId":1286381,"threadId":"191688","contentId":"1174477","authorDomain":"pobox522rlyeh"}

3 votes

#1 - Wed Dec 19, 2007 2:29 PM EST

{"commentId":1292307,"authorDomain":"tcervo"}

gecko85

I saw an excellent interview with the two principal actors on HDNet's Higher Definition (which is a great show, btw...) But that was the only place I ever heard of the film. No advertising (that I saw) and it was only in the local art-house cinema for 2 weeks.

{"commentId":1292307,"threadId":"191688","contentId":"1174477","authorDomain":"tcervo"}

#1.1 - Fri Dec 21, 2007 11:36 AM EST

{"commentId":1319219,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}

Scott (Scoop) Butki

his real-life girlfriend

I didn't see anything in the reviews or commentary that suggested they were this
but rather just good friends. Do you have sourcing on that?

{"commentId":1319219,"threadId":"191688","contentId":"1174477","authorDomain":"sbutki"}

1 vote

#1.2 - Tue Jan 1, 2008 6:58 PM EST

{"commentId":1319482,"authorDomain":"darkside"}

Mykola Bilokonsky

heard it various places, plus wikipedia says so so it must be true!

{"commentId":1319482,"threadId":"191688","contentId":"1174477","authorDomain":"darkside"}

1 vote

#1.3 - Tue Jan 1, 2008 8:53 PM EST

{"commentId":1319581,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}

Scott (Scoop) Butki

Interesting because it is at odds with how they describe themselves in the dvd bits.

{"commentId":1319581,"threadId":"191688","contentId":"1174477","authorDomain":"sbutki"}

1 vote

#1.4 - Tue Jan 1, 2008 9:31 PM EST

{"commentId":1351384,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}

Scott (Scoop) Butki

Ok, I dug into this a bit more about the relationship.
I followed the footnotes from the referenced Wikipedia and it takes you to this story which says this:

"chemistry between his two leads — Glen Hansard, frontman for the Irish rock band the Frames, and Markéta Irglová, a Czech musician and acting novice — was easy to produce during the January 2006 shoot in Dublin. ''I had been falling in love with her for a long time, but I kept telling myself she's just a kid,'' says Hansard, 37, who has known his 19-year-old costar for the past six years. (The two are now dating.) ''There was definitely the feeling we were documenting something precious and private.'' As it turns out, that's the one special effect money can't buy.

So there was some kind of a relationship there before and maybe love before they realized what it was AFTER the movie was through. I had no idea of that huge age difference, though.
Anyway your wording threw me but is, in fact, correct so I owe you an apology, myk.

{"commentId":1351384,"threadId":"191688","contentId":"1174477","authorDomain":"sbutki"}

#1.5 - Fri Jan 11, 2008 2:38 AM EST

{"commentId":1351389,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}

Scott (Scoop) Butki

One other bit of trivia. I read the first scene, where the guy took his money, as being the main character and his brother. Glen says that was a common misconception but just because the guy asked after his mum that was not supposed to be his brother.

{"commentId":1351389,"threadId":"191688","contentId":"1174477","authorDomain":"sbutki"}

#1.6 - Fri Jan 11, 2008 2:41 AM EST

{"commentId":1355424,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}

Scott (Scoop) Butki

I have to admit this does seem a bit creepy and inappropriage, age-wise: I mean, he was falling for her when she was under 16?

{"commentId":1355424,"threadId":"191688","contentId":"1174477","authorDomain":"sbutki"}

#1.7 - Sat Jan 12, 2008 9:59 AM EST

{"commentId":1286387,"authorDomain":"darkside"}

Mykola Bilokonsky

This movie has gotten a lot of five-star reviews. As much as I love it and as much as I praise it, if I had to give it a star rating I'd have to give it a 4.5 out of 5. The reason is this: while it's a beautiful film with a lot going on, it's not necessarily the sort of movie that sticks with you. Maybe that's just me, though - I guess I've had a lot of the thoughts that this movie presents (and it presents them really, really well) so I felt like it was a comfortable film rather than a challenging one - does that make sense?

It's like reading e.e. cummings instead of T.S. Eliot. You love it, it's pleasant, it's not entirely easy to understand but if you think about it just a little it opens up in front of you - unlike the Eliot, where you could spend a month reading a single poem and not be entirely sure of what it means to you.

Does that make sense?

and

Have you seen this movie?

{"commentId":1286387,"threadId":"191688","contentId":"1174477","authorDomain":"darkside"}

5 votes

#2 - Wed Dec 19, 2007 2:31 PM EST

{"commentId":1287214,"authorDomain":"tom"}

tom

, it's not necessarily the sort of movie that sticks with you.

my only criticism (at the risk of sounding like a total snoot-critic-jackass) is i find Hansard has a tendency to be lyrically one-dimensional. you don't get this from the movie - but you may get it from the soundtrack, if you listen to it a few times. the dimension is "Troubled Relationships".

E.g.:

[Say It To Me Now] Scratching at the surface now, I'm trying hard to work it out ...
[Once] Once, once, I knew how to talk to you ... but not anymore.
[All the Way Down] You have broken me, all the ay down, down upon, my knees...
[Tryign to Pull Myself Away] Breaking up at the station, I find a train, I don't even know if i'll ever see you again...
[Leave] Can't wait forever, is all that you said, before you stood up. You won't disappoint me, i can do that myself, ... if you don't mind leave, leave, free yourself at the same time.
[Lies] i think it's time, we give it up, and figure out, what's stopping us, from breathing easy, and talking straight.
[When Your Mind's Made Up] So, if you want something, and you call, then I'll come right in, to fight and i'll be at your door, when there's nothing, worth running for.

To his credit, the song Falling Slowly is [apparently] about seeing a woman across the room and thinking she's very beautiful and then Bam! you realize it's your girl and how lucky you are ... at least that's a positive theme with some redemption instead of the relationship catastrophes that he sings about in other songs.

{"commentId":1287214,"threadId":"191688","contentId":"1174477","authorDomain":"tom"}

3 votes

#2.1 - Wed Dec 19, 2007 6:30 PM EST

{"commentId":1287432,"authorDomain":"brianford"}

Brian Ford

Having listened to some previews, I get a Cat Stevens feeling from his vocals.

{"commentId":1287432,"threadId":"191688","contentId":"1174477","authorDomain":"brianford"}

3 votes

#2.2 - Wed Dec 19, 2007 8:02 PM EST

{"commentId":1289687,"authorDomain":"darkside"}

Mykola Bilokonsky

I agree with you, Tom. The music in the film is lovely but it didn't make me run out and buy a Frames album. I felt like it worked in context but it's not necessarily the sort of thing I'd throw on, ya know?

{"commentId":1289687,"threadId":"191688","contentId":"1174477","authorDomain":"darkside"}

1 vote

#2.3 - Thu Dec 20, 2007 2:27 PM EST

{"commentId":1292017,"authorDomain":"stolte-sawa"}

Ryan Stolte-Sawa

tom, I presume the songs in this movie are original to the film and not songs recycled from the Frames' catalogue. In any case, Guitarboy is carrying a big torch for the one who got away. Of course his songs are "lyrically one-dimensional"--they're all the same song, and they're all for her.

I guess I don't see this element as a failing so much as a realistic dimension of a character: an artist, a man, with an obsession over a shattered heart. I don't know the Frames at all, really, but I think it's probably folly to assume that songs written with fictional characters in mind represent a band's real-life repertoire. When you're writing songs for yourself, your investments--lyrically, musically, personally--are very different.

Brian, when I hear that kind of rumpled-newsprint British voice, I can't help but immediately think of adult-contempo artists like David Grey and--I hate to say it--Coldplay. But I think I had that moment, too, where I thought "hell, that sounds just like Cat Stevens." I appreciate a vocalist with range of timbres over a range of octaves any day.

Thanks for writing, Myk.

{"commentId":1292017,"threadId":"191688","contentId":"1174477","authorDomain":"stolte-sawa"}

1 vote

#2.4 - Fri Dec 21, 2007 10:13 AM EST

{"commentId":1292743,"authorDomain":"tom"}

tom

hi stolte: what's cookin?

I presume the songs in this movie are original to the film and not songs recycled from the Frames' catalogue.

i found a live Frames show from late 2006 and both Falling Slowly and Leave are on it. not sure if that means they pre-date the movie. the only tunes from the soundtrack i could find on their discography are:

Falling Slowly / the cost - 2006
When Your Mind's Made Up / the cost - 2006
Say It To Me Now / fitzcorraldo - 1995

I guess I don't see this element as a failing so much as a realistic dimension of a character:

you say tomatoe, i say tomato :-)

{"commentId":1292743,"threadId":"191688","contentId":"1174477","authorDomain":"tom"}

2 votes

#2.5 - Fri Dec 21, 2007 1:59 PM EST

{"commentId":1319225,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}

Scott (Scoop) Butki

In one of the making-of bits on the dvd they suggest it's partly new material partly older stuff but I do think it works well.

{"commentId":1319225,"threadId":"191688","contentId":"1174477","authorDomain":"sbutki"}

#2.6 - Tue Jan 1, 2008 7:00 PM EST

{"commentId":1286481,"authorDomain":"pobox522rlyeh"}

Smiling Jack

No I haven't seen it yet, but I'll look it up on Netflix.

And. yes, it makes sense.

I seem to go through periods where I like e.e. cummings and then lose the taste for it. The strange thing about his work is that occasionally I will read it and it will seem to make perfect "sense" in my head, and it's easily read. Months later when I return to the same poem it will seem more awkward, and I may not remember it.

I go through a kind of change in mood as the months go by. Sometimes I feel more like writing, and other times more like drawing. Depending on which sort of mood I'm in, my taste in movies changes, as well as whether I'm more likely to read fiction or non-fiction.

I feel more like drawing right now, and if I'm interpreting what you've said correctly, this may be a good movie to watch right now.

{"commentId":1286481,"threadId":"191688","contentId":"1174477","authorDomain":"pobox522rlyeh"}

2 votes

#3 - Wed Dec 19, 2007 2:56 PM EST

{"commentId":1286528,"authorDomain":"darkside"}

Mykola Bilokonsky

Ha, that's really neat - yes, this is a movie for someone who feels like drawing. :)

{"commentId":1286528,"threadId":"191688","contentId":"1174477","authorDomain":"darkside"}

2 votes

#3.1 - Wed Dec 19, 2007 3:11 PM EST

{"commentId":1286550,"authorDomain":"brianford"}

Brian Ford

Interesting that you say that -- I always feel really inspired to create after watching the movie Wonder Boys.

{"commentId":1286550,"threadId":"191688","contentId":"1174477","authorDomain":"brianford"}

2 votes

#3.2 - Wed Dec 19, 2007 3:16 PM EST

{"commentId":1292023,"authorDomain":"stolte-sawa"}

Ryan Stolte-Sawa

Interesting that you say that -- I always feel really inspired to create after watching the movie Wonder Boys.

That's a good one!

{"commentId":1292023,"threadId":"191688","contentId":"1174477","authorDomain":"stolte-sawa"}

1 vote

#3.3 - Fri Dec 21, 2007 10:14 AM EST

{"commentId":1286513,"authorDomain":"thelimeybrit"}

theLimeyBrit

Thanks Mykola, I'd seen positive reviews for this, made a mental note to look out for it, then forgot about it. It's going on my queue.

{"commentId":1286513,"threadId":"191688","contentId":"1174477","authorDomain":"thelimeybrit"}

3 votes

#4 - Wed Dec 19, 2007 3:06 PM EST

{"commentId":1286532,"authorDomain":"darkside"}

Mykola Bilokonsky

Cool, Limey. It's always really gratifying when someone tells me they'll check something out based on my word. Come back here and let us know what you thought of it when you see it, ok?

{"commentId":1286532,"threadId":"191688","contentId":"1174477","authorDomain":"darkside"}

3 votes

#4.1 - Wed Dec 19, 2007 3:11 PM EST

{"commentId":1372186,"authorDomain":"thelimeybrit"}

theLimeyBrit

I watched Once last night and loved it. I'd give it a solid 4 stars - definitely a Must-See, but not necessarily a Must-Own.

Its themes reminded me of Lost in Translation - two lonely people whose lives intersect for a moment, then depart with a new lease on life, ready to tackle their problems head on. It's been too long since I saw LiT so I can't really get any more analytical than that, but I think there's a parallel between the two films.

When Your Mind's Made Up is an absolutely beautiful song. That piano part over the top was simple, but lush and gorgeous.

I also love how their band turns out to be a bunch of street musicians who only play Thin Lizzy.

{"commentId":1372186,"threadId":"191688","contentId":"1174477","authorDomain":"thelimeybrit"}

1 vote

#4.2 - Thu Jan 17, 2008 8:49 AM EST

{"commentId":1287165,"authorDomain":"tom"}

tom

Great movie Myk ... totally agree. I listened to an interview w/ Hansard and he sounds like a really sincere, thoughtful guy - which is probably the reason why his music comes out that way. I loved that opening scene where he's singing Tell It To Me Now on the street corner after everyone has gone home, and then you find out that he sings his "real" songs at night because people just want to hear cover songs during the day.

It's so true.

His band is called The Frames if anyone digs the Once soundtrack and wants to hear more.

{"commentId":1287165,"threadId":"191688","contentId":"1174477","authorDomain":"tom"}

3 votes

#5 - Wed Dec 19, 2007 6:15 PM EST

{"commentId":1287368,"authorDomain":"jfxgillis"}

jfxgillis

Myk:

Nicely done. Definitely will watch.

{"commentId":1287368,"threadId":"191688","contentId":"1174477","authorDomain":"jfxgillis"}

2 votes

#6 - Wed Dec 19, 2007 7:34 PM EST

{"commentId":1287453,"authorDomain":"marilynl"}

Marilyn L

Missed this one too. I'll definitely check it out. Thanks, Myk!

{"commentId":1287453,"threadId":"191688","contentId":"1174477","authorDomain":"marilynl"}

5 votes

#7 - Wed Dec 19, 2007 8:12 PM EST

{"commentId":1300886,"authorDomain":"brianford"}

Brian Ford

Just wanted to check and see if you'd read Ebert's "christmas present" review of this movie?

{"commentId":1300886,"threadId":"191688","contentId":"1174477","authorDomain":"brianford"}

1 vote

#8 - Tue Dec 25, 2007 10:32 AM EST

{"commentId":1301063,"authorDomain":"darkside"}

Mykola Bilokonsky

ha, hadn't caught that - but thanks!

{"commentId":1301063,"threadId":"191688","contentId":"1174477","authorDomain":"darkside"}

1 vote

#8.1 - Tue Dec 25, 2007 12:25 PM EST

{"commentId":1319232,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}

Scott (Scoop) Butki

I printed out that review after watching the movie with my sister and mom and they
noticed one or two errors in it.
The one definite mistake was this:

He takes her to a music store where he knows the owner, and they use a display piano.

it's actually HER music shop.
The other one concerns the translation of a question and answer after they go on their
motorbike. I've seen three different summaries of what exactly he asks her and
what she replies. I find it interesting that, as IMDB notes here, they did translate
her answer. I love the first trivia item they list too.

{"commentId":1319232,"threadId":"191688","contentId":"1174477","authorDomain":"sbutki"}

#8.2 - Tue Jan 1, 2008 7:04 PM EST

{"commentId":1302589,"authorDomain":"farmer"}

oldfogey

Mykola, thanks, you have the right idea and the skills to put it over. I appreciate that you are reviewing a film you presume will not attract its deserved attention. That helps those of us who don't spend a lot of time deciding what we want for entertainment and just take whatever comes along. I will see this as soon as I find it. In Houston with kids and they always have everything ever filmed. Keep it up. Hope to have a movie for you to review one of these days. Thanks again.

{"commentId":1302589,"threadId":"191688","contentId":"1174477","authorDomain":"farmer"}

#9 - Wed Dec 26, 2007 11:37 AM EST

{"commentId":1318612,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}

Scott (Scoop) Butki

I saw this movie while home for the holidays was blown away by it. It's excellent!
Great review.

Have you seen this - a video of the story in reverse?

At first I thought it was going to be agonizingly slow but that actually helped in this case.
I may get the dvd from netflix just so I can listen to the commentary.

{"commentId":1318612,"threadId":"191688","contentId":"1174477","authorDomain":"sbutki"}

#10 - Tue Jan 1, 2008 2:50 PM EST

{"commentId":1349881,"authorDomain":"caroleroach"}

Carole R

Thank you. I listened to the music previews and was wondering why I hadn't already seen the movie given that it was released last year. At the end of the music previews came a trailer of the movie itself which just confirmed that my radar must be out of whack. I will be looking for it now and will definitely buy the music.

Thank you for this.

{"commentId":1349881,"threadId":"191688","contentId":"1174477","authorDomain":"caroleroach"}

#11 - Thu Jan 10, 2008 4:34 PM EST

{"commentId":1349937,"authorDomain":"brianford"}

Brian Ford

Glad this popped back into my tracker as I got it for Christmas (well, a rain check which I recently cashed in) and watched it last weekend.

It was definitely really good, and I liked that it felt like a documentary. The wikipedia entry for the movie is pretty interesting, too: I was surprised to find that the girl was only 17 while the movie was filmed and that he was 36 (or so). Apparently, they are now dating. (She's 19.)

{"commentId":1349937,"threadId":"191688","contentId":"1174477","authorDomain":"brianford"}

1 vote

#12 - Thu Jan 10, 2008 4:52 PM EST

{"commentId":1351364,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}

Scott (Scoop) Butki

I'm listening tonite to the music commentary for the movie and it's interesting. It's the two lead actors-singers talking about the performance. For example, the scene in the piano shop? They were performing it live for the soundtrack as well as fo the movie so one reason they wore the loose scarfs was that's where the microphones were.

As for the ad-libbed song at the back of the bus, in addition to being creative and funny it accomplished something even more impressive. They were able to replace a scene with much exposition where he explains his back story with the song and the result, the actors and director says, is viewers almost dont realize they are being fed the background, thinking they are just enjoying a song.

Another amusing anecdote was that difficulty of the opening scene where he sings alone because people who recognized the singer or the music kept coming up and they had to ask them to get out of the scene.

Tomorrow I'm going to watch/listen to their commentary on the movie as a whole.

{"commentId":1351364,"threadId":"191688","contentId":"1174477","authorDomain":"sbutki"}

#13 - Fri Jan 11, 2008 2:25 AM EST

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MYKOLA BILOKONSKY

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