Once

We bought Once as a gift for our 11 year old granddaughter. She loved it, and so did her mother and father, so much so that they have watched it many times now in the space of a couple of months. The film is warm, funny, romantic, musically inspiring and charmingly refreshing.

'Once' is a love story, but at its heart, it is the struggle of musicians and the creative process. The music itself is an integral character in the show, evolving, expressing serious emotions better than the actors can themselves. For any of you who have, even for a moment, dreamt of creating beautiful music, 'Once' is a version of your story. After watching it, I'd be surprised if even a few musicians could resist downloading the soundtrack.

I can't really add anything to the 200+ reviews. But I will say that this movie has heart, passion and a nontraditional romance that left me in tears. If you have a passion for music, this is definitely worth seeing.

EDIT 6/20/08 - I just saw the Swell Season Concert in Chicago a few days ago and it was by far the best concert I'v ever been to. Even if you don't love the film, you need to see the group live, they are amazing! Can't wait till the come back.

Twenty-two of us watched this film in my History of Modern Ireland class. The class is roughly three hours long, but when it came time to end, we still had fifteen minutes worth of film to watch. Our professor gave us the opportunity to stay, and fifteen of twenty-two people decided to watch the rest of the movie.

Once is that type of film.

The music is amazing and the plot is strong, with well-written dialogue and wit. The story revolves around a musician in Dublin, Ireland and his week-long experience with a mysterious young woman who quickly captures his heart. The two compose music together, and by the time it's all said and done, their friendship is as strong as their melody. A truly inspiring film topped off with incredible music throughout.

A decent storyline but the clincher is the music. Glen Hansard sings and wails with a great passion. Once is a modern day independent cinematic musical that mesmerizes the soul for a little over an hour.