Once 2007

     Guy is a guitarist/singer/songwriter from Dublin.  He makes his living by fixing vacuum cleaners in his Dad’s Hoover repair shop.  Guy is singing on the street for donations and Girl is attracted to the music.  She is a pianist but she doesn’t own a piano.  She takes him to a music store where she knows the owner and they use a display piano.  She plays Mendelssohn and he sits and listens.  Girl helps Guy record a demo to take to London and play for music promoters.  They recruit other street musicians and she negotiates the price for a recording studio.

     I thought this movie was good.  It’s simple, straightforward and uncomplicated.  The actors are musicians first and then actors but they do a good job in both their roles.  I thought using unknown actors made the film more believable.  This film premiered at Sundance and the two main characters gave a live performance at the conclusion of the film.  3 ½* (I liked this movie)

85 min, Drama directed by John Carney with Glen Hansard, Marketa Irglova, Hugh Walsh, Gerard Hendrick, Alastair Foley, Geoff Minogue, Bill Hodsnett, Danuse Ktrestova, Darren Healy, Mal Whyte, Marcell Plunkett.

Note:  Imdb 7.9 out of 10, 97% critic 91% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 4, Amazon 4.3* out of 5* with 1184 reviews,

Special Note:  Filmed in Country Dublin and Dublin, Ireland.  Michael Phillips of the Tribune selected this film as the best film of 2007.  Roger Ebert gave it a Special Jury Prize because Juno was the top movie.  This film was shot for very little money in 17 days.  The characters don’t have names and the film is mostly music and not a lot of dialog.  Hansard is a professional musician well known in Ireland.  He is the leader of a bad called the Frames formed in 1991.  Irglova is an immigrant from the Czech Republic, she is 17 years old and this is her first acting role.  Bob Dylan was such a fan of the film that he arranged for Hansard and Irglova to open for him on part of his world tour.  The lead role was originally intended for Cillian Murphy but he turned it down because he was unsure about acting beside a non-professional.  Plus, Murphy wasn’t convinced his singing would do justice to the songs.  A lot of money from sponsors was lost when Murphy pulled out.  The most expensive scene was 2,500 euros for renting the crane to use for the final sweeping shot.