A busker in love
There’s this little Irish movie called Once, written and directed by John Carney and starring two musicians, Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova. It’s lovely. I love it for the exact opposite of the reasons that I love, say, There Will Be Blood. Once is simple and unassuming, has a cozy home-made quality, and the soundtrack consists of melodious songs one can actually sing. A good movie is a good movie is a good movie, whatever its scope and intentions.
In Once, a guy meets a girl, they hang out, and then the movie veers away from the usual love story tropes. The guy is a vacuum cleaner repairman who sings for change on the streets of Dublin; the girl is a pianist, an immigrant from the Czech Republic who sells flowers and cleans houses. They start writing and recording songs together—everything they feel is expressed in those songs, but the songs are not about their relationship. It’s not a traditional romance, but it’s intense. And they’re good pop songs, classic singer- songwriter stuff, soulfully rendered by Hansard. According to the making-of-the-movie features in the dvd, Irglova and Hansard really are friends who write songs together. The director didn’t want the camera to get in their faces and make them uncomfortable or self-conscious, so many of the scenes are done in long shots. The actors did not know where the camera was, and there was no clapper to tell them when they were rolling. Once has the feel of a documentary. It doesn’t strain for effects, but it’s quite wrenching and satisfying, and the song Falling Slowly really sticks to your brain pan. Recovery time: 5 hours.
Answers to questions you might be asking, unless you wandered onto this site purely by accident >>>
February 11th, 2008 at 22:55
It’s an awesome movie … short, quiet and wonderfully told through music.
February 12th, 2008 at 08:36
Oh jeez, I love Once and I love that song Falling Slowly. When the camera slowly zooms out on Marketa’s face and then to Hansard’s, there’s melancholy yet it’s also something magical.
February 12th, 2008 at 13:35
The absolute moment in the movie was the band recording their first song, When Your Mind’s Made Up. You just knew that Guy was going to make it in London. It was that exhilarating.
February 12th, 2008 at 15:35
The songs sound like radio hits in an alternate universe. Touching ending.
February 12th, 2008 at 23:44
I’ve been waiting to watch this movie for so long. I wish it was up for Best Picture, or at least more Best Song nominations. Busker boy was played by Glen Hansard, AKA Outspan Foster from The Commitments. You’re still cute, Outspan!
February 17th, 2008 at 14:01
The song was nominated for an Oscar and a Grammy; the film was nominated for Grand Jury Prize and won the Audience Award. Not bad. Marketa Iglova’s character was astig. It was cute when she mentioned the term “hanky panky,” but more than that I thought, “What a decent lady.”
What did she say in Czech in that scene where they went away on a motorbike? Does it even matter?
February 25th, 2008 at 08:04
I have yet to see this film, and my curiosity is piqued after it won the Best Foreign Film at the 2008 Independent Spirit Awards.
February 25th, 2008 at 13:34
And now, radiohead, Falling Slowly just won Best Song at the Oscar’s. It actually beat three Disney songs (!). Go watch, watch this movie.
February 26th, 2008 at 13:56
is this available in dvd?
it came out 2006 pa?
February 26th, 2008 at 16:04
Yes, katreyes. I finally got my copy just last month in Quiapo but I’ve known about this movie since mid of last year. Get the copy. It really is an experience.
March 1st, 2008 at 01:05
Marielle, if you believe IMDB, the translation for her Czech reply is in the Once entry, trivia section. If it’s true, what Marketa said in Czech makes the movie even more romantic AND sad.
March 3rd, 2008 at 11:21
It was really good. I love the part where they lug the vacuum cleaner around–so charming and innocent.
August 14th, 2008 at 23:29
i think the best part of the movie was when Glen asked Marketa to sing her piece (The Hill)… and the song was too emotional that Marketa almost faltered and was not able to finish the song… it made me cry. :'(