Subtle Charm

Once - 4/5




Once is the small film which arrived on the scene having attracted quite a following at the festivals - Spielberg is apparently a big fan. Given that, its a surprisingly low-key affair and very hard to define. It's kind of a musical, but not in the usual artificially breaking into song and dance kind of way, rather it follows characters who like to sing. It's kind of a romance, but the central relationship remains a platonic friendship.






The Dublin-set story, such as it is, follows a guy (Glen Hansard) who's a busker and hoover repairman who meets a girl (Marketa Irglova), they get to know each other, become friends and make music together, in a literal sense, rather than a naff metaphorical one and its as simple as that. He's still hung-up on his ex and she has a husband back in the Czech republic.



What it is fresh and engaging in a subtle way. Writer/director John Carney chose to use non-professional actors - his leads make their living as musicians, although Hansard did appear as the guitarist in The Commitments. That said, Hansard makes a natural and very likeably watchable lead. Irglova is more obviously a non-actor, but brings such an enthusiasm and innocent energy to the role that its impossible not to warm to her. The music works well to keep the film together and add shades to the emotions.

There is the odd off-note - the moment when the sound engineer suddenly realises that this ia actually rather good feels a bit hackneyed, but the rest of the film is delivered with a freshness that alternately amuses and moves ands is utterlt charming.