Davida Cronin, 15/02/2008
Once in a while, a film comes along that restores your faith in movies. In a time when Hollywood budgets are often substantial enough to feed a small country for a year, this softly spoken small-budget soon-to-be-cult-classic starring The Frames' Glen Hansard and young Czech singer songwriter Marketa Irglova documents a story that has been told a thousand times before- that of two lost souls who find themselves falling in love. What sets John Carney's Once apart from any other love story is its practically perfect soundtrack, sang y the lead characters, its authentic portrayal of Dublin and the growing relationship between the two lead characters who frustratingly struggle with their feelings in the face of complications with past and current partners. Although both inexperienced actors, Hansard and Irglova produce such convincing emotion and genuinely touching moments that it almost feels like you are watching a documentary of a couple's private and most treasured memories. Irglova produces a simple, yet, at times, agonisingly and intensely complicated character, while Hansard's down-on-his-luck yet lovable and real Guy wins you over from the first scene. The real-life couples' natural and understated performances contribute to the film’s quiet beauty and thankfully it doesn’t just become a film with a sole aim of boosting the two singers' careers. The movie is not perfect- the relationship between Girl and her mother appears contrived at times- however the film is so full of poignant and beautiful moments that more than make for this. Such heartwarming moments include Hansard's musical description of the demise of his last relationship and the image of Irglova's character in gentle pursuit of Guy through the streets of Dublin- and all with a vaccuum cleaner in tow.
One of the best films to come out of Ireland in a long time, this is a must-see.
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