Movies on DVD Review: Once

Starring Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova. Written and Directed by John Carney.

The movie is literally about the music.

Set in Ireland, Guy (Hansard) works for his father fixing Hoover vacuum cleaners. His last relationship ended for reasons unknown, and that she lives somewhere in London. During lunch and at nighttime he performs songs on the corner of a busy street to keep his artistry going.

Girl (Irglova) does varied work (she tells him one day that she got a job cleaning a house). She lives with her mother and her two-year-old daughter. Her husband is still in Russia, and things aren't working out between them. She demonstrates to Guy that she can play piano as well as sing.

Outside of this, there really isn't too much story involved in this movie. And as much as I really wanted more of one, it would have possibly detracted from what the movie is: a showcase of two incredibly talented artists. Yes, they both do a good job a stringing a small story around two people who need each other for the time they're allotted, but that's not really the reason one sees this film.

The music. It's all about the music. From his songs ("Say It To Me Now," "Broken Hearted Hoover Fixer Sucker Guy") to her songs ("If You Want Me," "The Hill") to their collaborations ("When Your Mind's Made Up," and the hit "Falling Slowly") I was incredibly impressed with the songs and how well both worked together.

And that's really what the film is about. If you're a fan of music, as well as indie films, you need to check this one out. Of note their Academy Award-winning song, "Falling Slowly," is available as a free download on the DVD (PC DVD-ROM).

I'll put this in my collection, somewhere around "Almost Famous."

My grade: B