Once (2006)

A really terrific, tender, beautiful film. A lot of its 85 minutes of running time consists of music, be it playing it in the streets, recording it, talking about, etc. This had me somewhat apprehensive beforehand but I can safely say my concerns were unwarranted. I wouldn't call it a musical, people don't break out into song randomly, etc. All the music is inherently tied to the storytelling.

In short, the plot is about a guy (the two lead characters are unnamed, credited as simply "Guy" and "Girl") in Dublin who works in his father's vacuum cleaner repair shop. When not at work he's working on his true love music. He plays in the streets and that's where he meets the "girl". They bond over music, as well as the shared experience of past loves gone awry. The story takes place within the confines of a week, wherein she helps him record a demo he'll be taking with him to London.

I don't want to explore the story in any more depth, I feel it'd be a disservice to this brilliant film. I do want to mention my three favorite scenes. First, when Guy plays his demo for his father for the first time. There's this pause while he's waiting for his dad's reaction. Will he like it? Will he think he's a fool and wasting his time? Secondly, during an all-night recording session, Guy and his ragtag band of other street performers and Girl fight off sleep. Even though everyone is thoroughly beat, they press forward, not allowing the night to end, taking a break from the confines of the studio to toss frisbee on the beach while the sun comes out. It reminded me of times I spent with friends, during that stretch right after high school, where nobody knew for sure where we'd be in the future but in the interim we were all about making the most out of every moment right then. Lastly, my favorite moment, was the first time Guy and Girl play music together in a downtown music shop. Its such an astoundingly beautiful scene. Really, truly, one of the better moments captured in film in the decade of the 2000's. They play Guy's original song "Falling Slowly". It's worth seeing the film for this scene alone.

Glen Hansard plays Guy and does a terrific job. His real life career is a musician, and he's clearly gifted in that regard, but he also was able to bring to the role a boyish enthusiasm and optimism that made the character so likable. Markéta Irglová plays Girl and is also fabulous. Remarkably, she was only seventeen at the time the movie was made. Her character has a practicality about her, fighting off youthful idealism, showing a sense she is much wiser beyond her years. This is one of the best films released in 2006.