by Leighton Smith

Created on: July 16, 2009

For some reason, it took me a long time to see the film Once. It debuted at various film festivals and reached major American theaters in early 2007, but I only just saw it in February of 2008. As an exchange student studying in Dublin, Ireland (the film's principal setting), I suppose it was bound to happen. Thank God. It's probably the best thing to come out of Ireland since Guinness.

With its ultra low-budget aesthetic and amateur actors, the word most commonly applied to Once is 'charming.' It's a fairly simple movie in terms of plot, a fresh riff on the old 'guy meets girl' storyline. We have the Guy, a struggling musician (the guitar-toting, unrequited love-singing variety) who also repairs vacuum cleaners in his father's shop; and the girl, a Czech, immigrant flower-seller with a broken Hoover who also plays the piano. Though reluctant to participate in the film at first, Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova finally agreed to play the two main characters. (Neither of them are actors in real life; they are both musicians.) Onscreen, the pair quickly enters into a close friendship centered on their passion for music.

Most of the film's best scenes are long, uninterrupted takes of them creating music together. They share a strong bond with one another and a romantic relationship seems like a foregone conclusion. (That doesn't happen, though, and Hollywood fans might be a bit disappointed with the ending.) Their deep connection eventually leads them to collaborate on an album, which also features a rag-tag group of Irish musicians to accompany them. The multitude of music performed in Once has led it to be dubbed "a musical," but that should not deter anyone from seeing it. If you didn't like My Fair Lady, don't worry. It's not that kind of musical.

Once truly is an inspirational piece of filmmaking, in terms of both its text and its origins. Take a look at the film's humble production and you should get the point. Writer/director John Carney shot Once in just 17 days, relying on a budget of a mere $160,000 USD. And, in a good way, it shows. The acting is candid, the shots are long and the editing is minimal. In many of the street scenes, the camera was kept hidden so that passers-by would not know a movie was being shot - and Carney wouldn't need to hire professional actors. The authenticity is evident.

Now that I've lived in Dublin for a little while, I can attest to the authenticity of Once. If you take a walk down Grafton Street, you will see the street musicians, the eastern Europeans trying to peddle their cheap bouquets to you. Once truly does well to capture the essence of Dublin. If you can't find the time to visit the city yourself, Once is a wonderful portrayal.

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