Once

This story of a Guy and a Girl is an unexpectedly brilliant movie that stands out as a unique film with excellent execution. Ginny suggested we watch it because it is one of her all-time favorites, and for good reason.

Small Budget, Small Success? Not Quite.

It's clear from the outset that this movie was made on a small budget: there are no big names, big special effects, or large, expensive sets. What is also clear is that this movie is full of big talent and big ideas. It can be classified as a musical, as there is a lot of singing by Guy (Glen Hansard, lead singer of The Frames) and Girl (Markéta Irglová), and the amazing music will be just one part of the movie that you'll never forget.

The Story

I won't ruin the plot with explicit details, but the layout of this tale is very well done: the interplay between our Irish busker Guy, the Czech Girl, and the other secondary characters reveals them to be honest and sincere people. The emotion that each shows when they are playing does not appear staged or forced, and you can imagine running into them on the street and being amazed by an incredible street performance. The film doesn't adhere to any preset template, and finds a happy home in the indie category

What You Should Do

See this film. It's a comedy, musical, romance, and a bit of a tear-jerker, but those tears are good ones. Once is a beautiful movie that will engage you in a terrific way, and you'll be the better for it.

Rating: 10.0/10.0