I can get easily bored with movies. So much cliché… predictability… canned Hollywood repetition. And - being a musician - I am particularly critical of music-centered stories. That being said… I was delightfully surprised by Once.
I think the movie is one of the best independent flicks I’ve seen. I watched it with my wife - we found it full of passion and sincerity. Particularly, it was refreshing to see professional musicians acting in lead roles with such engaging realism… probably so engaging precisely because they aren’t actors, and therefore their acting was much more believable, if that makes any sense. 
Without giving anything away, the movie is about two amateur musicians each struggling in their own way. They by chance embark on a week-long musical collaboration that culminates with them recording their songs over a weekend. Throughout the movie each of them shares songs that find their way into the storyline (and ultimately onto their recorded CD).
Mere hours passed after watching Once before I bought the soundtrack… which was filled (pleasingly) with all the songs from the movie. For fellow musicians especially, I highly recommend this movie and its soundtrack.
From wikipedia…
Once is an Academy Award winning 2007 Irish musical film written and directed by John Carney. Set in Dublin, this naturalistic drama stars musicians Glen Hansard (of popular Irish rock band The Frames) and Markéta Irglová as struggling musicians. Collaborators prior to making the film, Hansard and/or Irglová composed and performed all but one of the original songs in the movie.Shot for only €130,000 ($160,000), the film was very successful, earning substantial per-screen box office averages in the United States. It received extremely enthusiastic reviews and awards such as the 2008 Independent Spirit Award for best foreign film. Hansard and Irglová’s song “Falling Slowly” received a 2008 Academy Award and a 2008 Grammy nomination, and the soundtrack as a whole also received a Grammy nomination.
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absolutely loved it. Go buy the soundtrack and every CD by The Frames.
Sounds interesting, but, to be honest, I’m not particularly fond of a serious music movie. I can’t see how a musical can be interesting to me unless it has a good part of comedy. I’m thinking something along the lines of School of Rock. Unfortunately, I probably won’t be able to see Once. My car I got last August is finally up and running, and I have to start saving for gas, can’t by a ticket
NOT to be a critic but, the movie…wasnt that great a 2 outa 5.
song, 3 of 5.
Awright? theres my opinion.
i forgot to make “song” plural. sorry.
@ John3Sobieski :: You should rent it and see for yourself before you write it off. I’m not one for “indy” flicks… and I’m very critical of “musical” flicks… but this one just felt right.
@ gladiator :: I think this movie particularly speaks to musicians… especially those who are struggling to play/sing out pent up stuff on the inside.
Ok waraxe…(mabe my brother should rent the movie, no offence nick).
mabe i will think before typeing.
This was a FANTASTIC movie.
@ gladiator :: No sweat!
And if you don’t like Once just watch School of Rock!
@ Wayne :: Yep - in fact I think that one may have to be a purchase… I’ll wait until the inevitable “special edition” comes out.
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[...] while I was blogging about musical movies (like Once) I thought I’d point out another great flick I saw recently… Walk the Line. This movie [...]