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Jun 21, 2008
Once (2007, DVD)
4 of 4 found this helpful This motion picture, filmed in Dublin with two Sony handy camcorders for about $150,000 over the course of 17 days, may have been the Best Motion Picture of 2007. It was the best 2007 film I saw and that includes nearly all nominees in every category.
The film features two extremely talented musicians: Glen Hansard, lead singer of the Irish group "The Frames, and Marketa Irglova, a teen-age musical prodigy from the Czech Republic. These non-actors not only played the two leading roles but also composed nearly all of the music. And, though writer-director John Carney refers to his movie as a "musical," it should not be classified with classic Broadway musicals where the actors suddenly burst into song. In this musical, the songs fit comfortably within the story line.
The plot is simple. Yet Carney inserted delicate nuances throughout the film to keep the audience off guard. Hansard plays a struggling busker, i.e., street singer, who sings songs familiar to shoppers during the day and then tests his own compositions on the same streets at night. He also helps his father fix vacuum cleaners in a shop. A fairly new resident of Dublin, Irglova has an interest in music. Her father played in the orchestra in the Czech Republic and she took piano lessons. It turns out that she is a fine pianist and superb vocalist. However, like Hansard, she is struggling financially and survives by selling flowers and magazines on the streets.
A broken vacuum cleaner is the catalyst for the two to become better acquainted but music forges their friendship into what might be, should be, could be a "we'll be happy forever after" romance. The vibes are present and subtly intensify with each meeting. As it turns out, however, both the Guy and the Girl carry "baggage," one more than the other. Though perhaps not insurmountable, that baggage creates hurdles which impact upon the budding relationship. The audience is forced to participate in the moral dilemma confronting each of them.
By the time the film ends, the viewer has experienced a gambit of emotions enhanced by extraordinary music. "Falling Slowly" justifiably won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. It would be hard to imagine that someone could watch "Once" and not find that song haunting them for weeks. Yet "Falling Slowly" is only one of several Hansard-Irglova songs which demand replay. "If You Want Me," "The Hill," "Lies," "Once" and "All the Way Down" spark soft emotions familiar to anyone who has loved and lost. "When Your Mind's Made Up," "Say It to Me Now," "Gold" (the only song not written by Hansard and/or Irglova), "Fallen From the Sky," "Leave" and "Trying to Pull Myself Away" deliver different tempos addressing a variety of emotions. You might throw in "Broken Hearted Hoover Fixer Sucker Guy" for comic relief. When the movie ends you feel as if you have just visited a secret room you would like to share with the world but do not know how to do it.
Though "Once" played only at select metropolitan theaters, the popularity of "The Swell Season" -- the name adopted by Hansard and Irglova for their touring singing group and two independent CDs -- soon should overcome unfamiliarity as an issue. They sell out every concert. To best understand the music, see the movie and realize why it won multiple awards, including audience awards at the Sundance and Dublin film festivals, the Independent Spirit Award, two International Film & Music awards and the plaudits of respected critics.
Oct 05, 2007
Fascinating history!
The author has packed an unbelievable amount of information into 160 pages. Once you start reading, it is difficult to put down. Includes about 90 photos, some which have never previously been published.
May 11, 2009
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (DVD, 2008)
1 of 1 found this helpful It is, without question, one of the best motion pictures of 2008, It is somewhat uncomfortable to watch and some who watch it, and laud it knowing it to be based upon a true story, avoid seeing it for the second time. Don't miss it.