Movie Notes: Once

February 16th, 2008

= 5 stars

Starring Glen Hansard, Marketa Irglova
Directed by John Carney

Synopsis

Dublin street musician “Guy” (Glen Hansard) dreams of recording his songs. He meets “Girl” (Marketa Irglova), a recent immigrant to Czechoslovakia. They decide to collaborate and record some demos together.

The Good

• Refreshingly mundane and minimalist, with no polished actors or plot contrivances. I saw only one crane shot, saved for an appropriate moment.
• Straightforward and raw musical performances, with all pretense stripped away. The musicians really play their instruments — and I’d be hard pressed to identify any lip-syncing.
• The musical journey parallels the romantic one. The boy’s music unquestionably improves with the addition of the girl’s piano and vocals, so much so that they seem ideal for each other. But should a relationship begin, based solely on musical compatibility?
• Based on its grounding in reality, the ending is perfect. Please, no sequel.

The Bad

• Only two characters who live and breathe music in entirely ordinary settings. If you can’t relate, the film won’t work.
• The ending may be unsatisfying for those who like all loose ends tied up and explained.
• There’s one scene on a bus where I wondered if Guy ever puts down his guitar.

Conclusion

Some of the music wasn’t my cup of tea, specifically the Guy’s first songs with just himself on a battered acoustic guitar — they display a nearly inappropriate intensity. But after he meets Girl, who offers up Keren Ann harmonies and cutesy piano playing, his music vastly improves, resulting in the film’s best song in a recording studio.

Essentially, the music’s rough edges match the characters perfectly. Guy is a folk singer loner, possibly interested in music to his detriment (I’m guessing he’s over thirty). He lives with his father, works in a vacuum repair shop, and listens to music in a slightly disconcerting manner: standing completely still and staring straight ahead as if lost in thought. The girl is a single mother from Czechoslovakia, with inferred impulsive side. Her father was a classical pianist. Imagine for a minute what sort of music these two passionate, raw, and slightly flawed individuals would create: Once nails it.

The film also offers a fresh, unique take on the film musical. A more typical movie would feature a perfectly polished hit single, or characters that aren’t musicians bursting into song. Music is merely a metaphor for emotional moments.

Once retains the metaphor but brings the music and characters closer together, and roots them in reality. Its plot resembles a musical biopic like Ray or Walk The Line, except the boy and girl are completely unknown, with no hit singles to croon and no audience to perform to — the songs are of aspirations, dreams, and lonely emotions.

I now realize that recent musical biopics are increasingly similar to fictional musicals rather than the reality they purport to represent (hence the completely fabricated Dreamgirls). Once dials back the fantasy, and captures a real joy of discovery — be it musical, an inspiration, a relationship, or a dream.

IMDB: Once
Wikipedia: Once
Rotten Tomatoes: Once 97%