Once

In a year so far full of blockbuster sequels, gross out comedies, sadistic horror corns and some mediocre straight dramas, writer/director John Carney’s Once from Ireland is a breath of fresh air.

Carney was an ex-bassist of the influential Irish band, The Frames. He loosely based the movie on the band’s leading singer Glen Hansard who also stars in the movie. Once is a small musical with a big heart. A guy meets a girl on the street and their mutual passion for music draws them together for a few fateful weeks. Carney does not give the two leading characters any names. We merely know them as Guy and Girl (played by Marketa Irglova), but their time together not only transform their lives, but also leave a deep impact on the audience.

Once is shot on a threadbare budget and it shows on the screen. The relatively low quality of filming equipment used by Carney gives the entire film a grainy look sometimes suggesting a little shaky camera work. Most of the music in the movie are apparently recorded live on the set and lacks the usual polish in sound caliber that we may have grown accustomed to. BUT, none of them hurts the movie, on the contrary, it actually helps the film with its “slice of life” realism. Without apparent effort, Carney seems to simply let the camera roll and catch his actors as they go through their daily life. That kind of naturalism is the key to this movie’s charm. Carney is either an expert at capturing real life moments and inspiring his little-experienced actors or he is just lucky to have two unknowns that are completely natural in front of the camera. The end result is a total delight.

One reason Once has become such an indie hit in its limited release is that it deals with a popular theme easy for the audience to identify with. Love stories never grow out of fashion, especially the platonic unconsummated ones. Guy is a street musician on his down time and Girl is a Czech immigrant who plays piano whenever she gets a chance. Girl is first one who understands Guy’s music while listening to him on the street and their friendship ensues. When they first meet, Guy is still pining for his ex-girlfriend who currently lives in London and Girl has her own relationship problem. Their loneliness along with their passion for music has pulled them together and we all understand our own desire for company at times. As we get to know them better, we sense that they are soul mates in their musical creativity, but face too many obstacles in reality, let alone their still ambiguous feelings and entanglement with other loved ones. All the emotions and interactions between the two characters are something that we may encounter in our lives. Even when we are blissfully happy in our environment, sometimes a little spark may connect us with a stranger on a much deeper level.

I love a lot of the details and supporting characters Carney writes in the movie: the loan office who has his own rock dream; Guy’s dad brings in tea and refreshment during their jam session; Girl’s straight forward way with English language when she tells Guy that she is not going to his apartment to listen to the CD they have just recorded because they will just be doing “hanky panky”. I particularly love the scene, where Girl plays classical piano surrounded by all the modern guitars and basses on the wall. It is such a contradiction, but then Guy joins Girl and they play a duet of the song Guy writes. At that moment, the modern guitar and classic piano have become unlikely partners and both contribute to beautiful music.

Hansard and Irglova are two big assets in this movie. Prior to Once, Hansard only had a small role in another critically acclaimed Irish musical The Commitments and Once marks Irglova’s screen debut. However, these two look totally at home on screen maybe because they have been friends for years off-screen and the story, in many ways, reflect their real life situations. Hansard is 18 years senior of Irglova, but Hansard has quite a bit of 20-year old spirit and Irglova has a maturity far beyond her teenage years. When they share an intimate look, it doesn’t make the audience cringe; instead their chemistry transcends their age difference. On their first walk together in the city, Irglova with her broken vacuum cleaner and Hansard with his big guitar case have them instantly stand out in the crowd yet also an integral part of the whole urban scene. Irglova is a major find in this movie. Her Girl has accumulated a lot of life experiences in her short life: she is tough and no-nonsense, loyal and protective toward her friends and drives a hard bargain in business dealings; yet she maintains a childish innocence: delights in Guy’s attention and acts like a little girl when asking to try the precious motorcycle belonging to Guy’s dad. Irglova is not glamorous and wears little makeup in the movie, but she is an embodiment of womanhood and adolescence.

In Once, the city of Dublin is the third unbilled co-star. Never before in films has a city been brought out so alive without much sentimentality or glamorization. The characters constantly walk around the street among the hustle and bustle of the city. Carney never tries to pull the two characters out of the crowd and leaves the camera rolling even when some of those pedestrians become aware of the camera and turn to look at the actors. When Guy and Girl sit at a café window having a quick lunch, the city is still lively reflected on the glass and we see the two characters superimposed with those reflections. Even if you have never been to Dublin, this movie makes you feel that you know its every pulse and can even smell the fresh sea air and hear all the noises in every street corner.

Of course, any talk about Once has to mention the wonderful music throughout the movie. Hansard penned most of the songs and they are the heart and soul of this film. Hansard has a very strong voice that goes well with both rock anthems and soft ballads. By comparison, Irglova’s voice is much weaker and more fragile. Irglova is perfectly willing to have Hansard be the lead musical voice in the movie and all the songs will linger in your mind long after the movie is over. While the music is original, some of the singing scenes get old and stale. Carney doesn’t vary his camera style much when he films Hansard sing. Maybe I am old-fashioned. Once sometimes leads me to long for those musicals in Hollywood’s Golden Age. Back then, Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly rarely sang all their numbers still and there were always fancy footwork and lavish movements involved. Once is a musical strictly in the sense of music and dancing is absolutely out of the question here. In one scene, Carney has Hansard sing a love ballad to a video montage of his ex-girlfriend, it may be the only melodramatic sin he commits in this movie. The end result looks like some cheap amateur music video.

Is Once “the best music film of our generation”? Only time will tell, but it does have the most original songs in recent movie history and its soundtrack is definitely a must-have for any music lovers. Combined with Hansard and Irglova’s great chemistry and Carney’s laid back directing style, this bittersweet romance is also a must-see for any movie lovers.