Once is a wonderful movie – everyone must see it. An Irish film, it tells the story of a jaded Dublin street musician (never named in the film – in the credits, he’s listed as “The Guy”) and a young Czech immigrant (also never named – “The Girl”) who meet and literally make beautiful music together. Music fills almost every scene, whether the Guy and the Girl are playing together in a piano shop, writing music, listening to homemade CDs, or recording an album of the Guy’s songs. Elizabeth and I were both struck at how realistic their songwriting process was – then we read the credits. The Guy, played by Glen Hansard, and the Girl, played by Marketa Irglova, actually wrote the songs for the movie. In a less well-done film, this could have been a mere gimmick, but in Once, it adds to the magic. (Hansard and Irglova also recorded an album unrelated to the movie while it was being filmed.)
I can’t say too much more about why I like it so much without giving away the plot. I will say that the movie is a powerful statement about the nature of true love, and I’ll leave it at that.
(BTW, Once is still playing at the Esquire.)
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[...] I hope you had a happy Thanksgiving. Mine was a bit abbreviated, as our two-year-old came down with a stomach virus and I had to stay home with her instead of joining the rest of the family. The worst part: not getting to debate the merits of the movie Once with my wife’s cousin’s husband. (For my take on the movie, see here.) [...]