Once (2007)
#67 in my 2007 movie challenge was the sleeper Irish musical, Once. This is a charming, engaging film that never strays over the line into twee. It also doesn’t have the formula of many English/Irish films for American audiences: charming loser/underdog (who usually recruits friends to help) makes good. See, for example, Brassed Off, Waking Ned Devine, Billy Elliott, The Full Monty, that one about the guy swimming the channel, that one with Anthony Hopkins on a motorcycle, etc.
Glen Hansard is a street musician who catches the attention of Marketa Irglova, a Czech immigrant, who is also a musician. They have a good time, make music, then have an authentic ending. The music is great; I admired it all the more when I found out that Hansard and Irglova were performing their own compositions. This was a beautiful, tender, decidedly non-flashy musical, if such a thing isn’t an oxymoron. Loved it.
October 18th, 2007 at 11:31 am
for me - this did stray over into Twee. definitely too far over. toward the end, certain moments started to make me cringe. i doubt i will ever rewatch this. too earnest.
October 21st, 2007 at 8:06 pm
I guess the bittersweet ending helped to offset any saccharine bits for me. I really enjoyed the music.