I was sitting with my older sister who doesn't watch movies at all. Her family is very conservative and very Christian, so most movies will just put her off. Last night, I decided to play what is probably my second favorite film of all time.
Apart from 2006 and 2007 when people were discussing this movie, it seems to be one of the most forgotten of all the acclaimed 2000s movies. I don't know if people soured on it, heard that one song too many times, or what. However, I believe that "Once" by Jim Carney is a soaring triumph.
For those who have not seen it, I will be discussing key plot points, musical selection, and the general structure of the film, so you've been warned. I also might make comparisons to Sing Street, Begin Again, and even the recent La La Land.
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I'm going to talk about this film from my personal experience without diving into research notes about it because I tend to get details confused when I do that.
Once is set in Dublin, Ireland at some point around the time in which the film was released. It is not given a specific date. It follows two characters, both of whom are aspiring musicians who have other jobs. They don't have names in the film but are simply called "Boy" and "Girl". I give them names sometimes for simplicity but it changes from time to time.
Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova play the title roles, and are in my opinion the best people that will ever play the roles. The film is shot on perhaps one of the smallest budgets I have ever seen, but gives an authentic and folksy portrait of Ireland. My sister had been to Ireland and appreciated the film's locations.
Glen Hansard plays an Irish vacuum cleaner repair man who lives with his father after a failed relationship ended in his girl's infidelity. He is portrayed to be in his late 30s, perhaps around the age of Hansard at the time. On the side, he is a passionate an talented street musician with a charmingly broken guitar. He plays other people's music during the day when people will listen and his own at night. His ex-girlfriend has moved back to London after their relationship disintegrated.
Marketa Irglova is a young woman who lives with her mother in a small apartment and sells anything she can to provide for her young daughter Ivana (Ivanka?). She is from the Czech Republic and is estranged from her husband who fathered the child. She sells flowers and magazines in the film in between maintaining her secret passion to play the piano and sing, of which she does beautifully in the film.
As the film opens, you meet Glen Hansard's character on the street, singing for coins when a man steals his day's take. He chases after him, eventually getting the money back. He and the man talk and Hansard forgives the man, setting the tone for the amiable Irish brotherhood that seems to extend to all the poor of this film.
In the title credits, Hansard sings "Say It to me Now", which is when he first meets the film's female lead. She offers him 10 cents, which he sarcastically accepts. They talk about their pasts and she wonders who he writes these passionate songs for. He gives some vague details about the girl who is now "gone" and tells of his real job fixing vacuum cleaners. It just so happens that she has a broken vacuum cleaner so the two will no doubt meet again.
You see some scenes of the characters eating and getting to know each other in a cafe and on the bus, but it is here that the film's entire structure comes into focus. This is not merely a drama but it certainly isn't a traditional musical. These aren't actors who could carry a scene like Daniel Day Lewis nor are they going to launch into "I Dreamed a Dream" like Anne Hathaway in Les Miserables.
They have casual conversations about the longing and hurt they feel towards their past relationships, but never is their affection for each other really addressed. However, as a viewer, you feel them warming to each other. They have a real chemistry which is no accident since they aren't very good actors, but they did date in real life.
Anyway, Irglova's characters tells him that she loves the piano and so the two venture into a music shop where they play what is perhaps the most well-known song, the Oscar-winning "Falling Slowly". She can't afford a piano on her own so this is her chance to show off what is in his opinion an incredible talent. I think the reason people forget the movie is that they often think this song is the whole movie, but it isn't. It's also dozens of other great songs but also a well-written story and some excellent and affecting filming of a beautiful city.
So that night, Glen Hansard's character takes his new female companion to his place and propositions her to stay the night, which she pretty emphatically rejects, basically telling him to fuck off. He apologizes the next day, but it is pretty clear from this point in the film that there is more to this situation than a couple of heartbroken people falling madly in love.
It's from here that I'm not going to recount the film scene by scene, even though I could as short as it is because I want to get to what I really love about "Once".
So Irglova (which is what I'm calling this nameless character from now on) introduces Hansard (ditto) to her mother and daughter, as well as the trio of guys who come over to watch the only television in her apartment building. They are obviously friends of her husband, who is still back in the Czech Republic. Hansard begins to realize that he casually dismissed this girl as a one-night stand when she is in fact a decent person with her own life. This only makes him want to get to know her more.
Several of the film's biggest story points are told through songs rather than dialogue, which is to the film's credit since all the music is brilliant and the actors are in fact musicians. Hansard and Irglova exchange musical collaborations at this point and it's clear that they have a profound respect for one another. Irglova wants for him that he reunite with the girl who broke his heart, while he still holds out hope that she will run away with him.
After a few song sequences that give us some insight into each character's longing and heartbreak, and some beautiful and authentic looks at some Irish gathering places where songs and stories are exchanged, both characters talk about their plans. Hansard decides to reconcile with his girlfriend in London and Irglova is trying to reconnect with her husband.
Before either of these two things takes place, Hansard wants to make a record to commemorate their time together. They haggle with a recording studio and rent it out, enlisting the help of some fellow struggling street musicians in the bargain. They spend the entire night putting every ounce of musical energy into this recording, perhaps knowing that this is the last time they will see one another. This is not a story of a band that made it big, though the music is all excellent, but they make their record and share their heartache.
Hansard makes a desperate attempt to spend the night or day with her but she has to get back. She is really making a play to get her husband back, despite Hansard's attempts to inquire about whether she really loves him.
Hansard shows up at her doorstep in the film's last sequence to say goodbye but she is working. He walks away and returns to the music shop where they first played together. He has a word with the owner.
As he leaves for England, you see the piano they were playing arrive from a delivery truck. She holds her husband and he holds their baby. She looks out the window and wonders what could have been, which closes the film.
So...that's the plot. It doesn't sound like much on paper, but to me this film is so utterly effective in its craft that it completely destroys three obvious barriers it has built into it
1) It uses amateur actors. No one in this film is anything more than serviceable, which actually works in their favor because the director wisely uses what charms they do have and their incredible musical talent. As another bonus, the characters come off as completely unpretentious. You genuinely believe they are struggling Irish street musicians, because some of them were. The music is real.
2) The movie has no budget. The movie uses the city of Dublin, Ireland like a rustic canvas to tell the story, and although you know how cheap it was to make, it actually serves the impoverished characters because their story is so humble. Plus, Ireland is beautiful pretty much no matter where you are, city or country at least to me.
3) The film is based mainly on characters playing music. Most people don't like musicals because of the action-breaking launch into song that cheeses up the screen, but every song in here is sung at a time when someone would actually be singing. This film changed the definition of the musical to something more authentic.
Jim Carney has not done a better film since. Begin Again is better acted, but comes across as hollow because of the polished look and unconvincing struggle of Keira Knightley's character. Sing Street is great, but doesn't have enough high quality songs to work.
The recent movie "La La Land" is another showbiz story of boy meets girl, and I will not spoil that film at all. It is actually trying to be a traditional drama and musical and does so in a charming way. It will probably win the academy award this year. But for me, Once captures some of the same themes as La La Land and does so in a way that comes across as raw and real, without any of the budget.
In conclusion, Once is far more than that movie that has Falling Slowly. It is a soaring triumph that makes me feel great every time I watch it. It is not depressing and cynical as many movies are, and I feel hopeful with each new viewing. I know you're eager to eviscerate my hyberbole, but I'll say it. Once is a fucking masterpiece.
Apart from 2006 and 2007 when people were discussing this movie, it seems to be one of the most forgotten of all the acclaimed 2000s movies. I don't know if people soured on it, heard that one song too many times, or what. However, I believe that "Once" by Jim Carney is a soaring triumph.
For those who have not seen it, I will be discussing key plot points, musical selection, and the general structure of the film, so you've been warned. I also might make comparisons to Sing Street, Begin Again, and even the recent La La Land.
I'm going to talk about this film from my personal experience without diving into research notes about it because I tend to get details confused when I do that.
Once is set in Dublin, Ireland at some point around the time in which the film was released. It is not given a specific date. It follows two characters, both of whom are aspiring musicians who have other jobs. They don't have names in the film but are simply called "Boy" and "Girl". I give them names sometimes for simplicity but it changes from time to time.
Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova play the title roles, and are in my opinion the best people that will ever play the roles. The film is shot on perhaps one of the smallest budgets I have ever seen, but gives an authentic and folksy portrait of Ireland. My sister had been to Ireland and appreciated the film's locations.
Glen Hansard plays an Irish vacuum cleaner repair man who lives with his father after a failed relationship ended in his girl's infidelity. He is portrayed to be in his late 30s, perhaps around the age of Hansard at the time. On the side, he is a passionate an talented street musician with a charmingly broken guitar. He plays other people's music during the day when people will listen and his own at night. His ex-girlfriend has moved back to London after their relationship disintegrated.
Marketa Irglova is a young woman who lives with her mother in a small apartment and sells anything she can to provide for her young daughter Ivana (Ivanka?). She is from the Czech Republic and is estranged from her husband who fathered the child. She sells flowers and magazines in the film in between maintaining her secret passion to play the piano and sing, of which she does beautifully in the film.
As the film opens, you meet Glen Hansard's character on the street, singing for coins when a man steals his day's take. He chases after him, eventually getting the money back. He and the man talk and Hansard forgives the man, setting the tone for the amiable Irish brotherhood that seems to extend to all the poor of this film.
In the title credits, Hansard sings "Say It to me Now", which is when he first meets the film's female lead. She offers him 10 cents, which he sarcastically accepts. They talk about their pasts and she wonders who he writes these passionate songs for. He gives some vague details about the girl who is now "gone" and tells of his real job fixing vacuum cleaners. It just so happens that she has a broken vacuum cleaner so the two will no doubt meet again.
You see some scenes of the characters eating and getting to know each other in a cafe and on the bus, but it is here that the film's entire structure comes into focus. This is not merely a drama but it certainly isn't a traditional musical. These aren't actors who could carry a scene like Daniel Day Lewis nor are they going to launch into "I Dreamed a Dream" like Anne Hathaway in Les Miserables.
They have casual conversations about the longing and hurt they feel towards their past relationships, but never is their affection for each other really addressed. However, as a viewer, you feel them warming to each other. They have a real chemistry which is no accident since they aren't very good actors, but they did date in real life.
Anyway, Irglova's characters tells him that she loves the piano and so the two venture into a music shop where they play what is perhaps the most well-known song, the Oscar-winning "Falling Slowly". She can't afford a piano on her own so this is her chance to show off what is in his opinion an incredible talent. I think the reason people forget the movie is that they often think this song is the whole movie, but it isn't. It's also dozens of other great songs but also a well-written story and some excellent and affecting filming of a beautiful city.
So that night, Glen Hansard's character takes his new female companion to his place and propositions her to stay the night, which she pretty emphatically rejects, basically telling him to fuck off. He apologizes the next day, but it is pretty clear from this point in the film that there is more to this situation than a couple of heartbroken people falling madly in love.
It's from here that I'm not going to recount the film scene by scene, even though I could as short as it is because I want to get to what I really love about "Once".
So Irglova (which is what I'm calling this nameless character from now on) introduces Hansard (ditto) to her mother and daughter, as well as the trio of guys who come over to watch the only television in her apartment building. They are obviously friends of her husband, who is still back in the Czech Republic. Hansard begins to realize that he casually dismissed this girl as a one-night stand when she is in fact a decent person with her own life. This only makes him want to get to know her more.
Several of the film's biggest story points are told through songs rather than dialogue, which is to the film's credit since all the music is brilliant and the actors are in fact musicians. Hansard and Irglova exchange musical collaborations at this point and it's clear that they have a profound respect for one another. Irglova wants for him that he reunite with the girl who broke his heart, while he still holds out hope that she will run away with him.
After a few song sequences that give us some insight into each character's longing and heartbreak, and some beautiful and authentic looks at some Irish gathering places where songs and stories are exchanged, both characters talk about their plans. Hansard decides to reconcile with his girlfriend in London and Irglova is trying to reconnect with her husband.
Before either of these two things takes place, Hansard wants to make a record to commemorate their time together. They haggle with a recording studio and rent it out, enlisting the help of some fellow struggling street musicians in the bargain. They spend the entire night putting every ounce of musical energy into this recording, perhaps knowing that this is the last time they will see one another. This is not a story of a band that made it big, though the music is all excellent, but they make their record and share their heartache.
Hansard makes a desperate attempt to spend the night or day with her but she has to get back. She is really making a play to get her husband back, despite Hansard's attempts to inquire about whether she really loves him.
Hansard shows up at her doorstep in the film's last sequence to say goodbye but she is working. He walks away and returns to the music shop where they first played together. He has a word with the owner.
As he leaves for England, you see the piano they were playing arrive from a delivery truck. She holds her husband and he holds their baby. She looks out the window and wonders what could have been, which closes the film.
So...that's the plot. It doesn't sound like much on paper, but to me this film is so utterly effective in its craft that it completely destroys three obvious barriers it has built into it
1) It uses amateur actors. No one in this film is anything more than serviceable, which actually works in their favor because the director wisely uses what charms they do have and their incredible musical talent. As another bonus, the characters come off as completely unpretentious. You genuinely believe they are struggling Irish street musicians, because some of them were. The music is real.
2) The movie has no budget. The movie uses the city of Dublin, Ireland like a rustic canvas to tell the story, and although you know how cheap it was to make, it actually serves the impoverished characters because their story is so humble. Plus, Ireland is beautiful pretty much no matter where you are, city or country at least to me.
3) The film is based mainly on characters playing music. Most people don't like musicals because of the action-breaking launch into song that cheeses up the screen, but every song in here is sung at a time when someone would actually be singing. This film changed the definition of the musical to something more authentic.
Jim Carney has not done a better film since. Begin Again is better acted, but comes across as hollow because of the polished look and unconvincing struggle of Keira Knightley's character. Sing Street is great, but doesn't have enough high quality songs to work.
The recent movie "La La Land" is another showbiz story of boy meets girl, and I will not spoil that film at all. It is actually trying to be a traditional drama and musical and does so in a charming way. It will probably win the academy award this year. But for me, Once captures some of the same themes as La La Land and does so in a way that comes across as raw and real, without any of the budget.
In conclusion, Once is far more than that movie that has Falling Slowly. It is a soaring triumph that makes me feel great every time I watch it. It is not depressing and cynical as many movies are, and I feel hopeful with each new viewing. I know you're eager to eviscerate my hyberbole, but I'll say it. Once is a fucking masterpiece.
