Once

With so many soulless blockbusters on local screens these days, Once is the proverbial breath of fresh air. We can tell you right now that it is a film that deserves your attention and time because its simplicity and heart will win you over. Once is a story of two struggling musicians, who meet one day and strike up a friendship that slowly builds into something more. Sounds clichÈ? Don’t let its romantic aspect turn you away. One of its biggest appeal lies in its lo-fi approach. Shot on a small budget, director John Carney had to shoot his street scenes secretly, with untrained actors who double up as the musicians playing the film’s main appeal – its music. The result is at first unsettling. But as the movie progresses, one learns to appreciate this naturalistic approach. There’s a carefully-handled modesty to the whole venture that the lead characters don’t even get proper names; they’re credited only as Guy (Glen Hansard) and Girl (Marketa Irglova). However, their characters are so real and the dialogue so intriguing that you don’t even realise until the end that you have no idea what their names are! But there’s little doubt that the biggest star of Once is the music, which was composed and performed by real life musicians Hansard and Irglova, even winning an Oscar for their efforts. Like the unassuming movie, the mostly acoustic soundtrack is simple but resonates deeply with emotion and beauty.

Cast Glen Hansard, Marketa Irglova, Alastair Foley Director John Carney
Runtime 85 minutes Opens 15 May (GSC International Screens)

Text Sarah Chan