Once Review

Falling Slowly, Once Again

There is a guy who is living a life of a pathetic Dublin busker – or a self-claimed ‘broken hearted hoover fixer sucker guy’ - after a breakup, and a girl who is living a life of an immigrant mother with a young daughter she had as a result of her ‘hanky panky.’ As the piano accompanies the guitar solo, she starts to sing in harmony to the song he used to sing alone, and slowly the song that began as a pleading monologue turns into a rich conversation. The Irish musical film, Once, written and directed by John Carney, shows how beautiful our routined life can be without adding too many accidentals to the piece.

The movie poster asks, ‘how often do you find the right person?’ It is hard to say, but Glen Hansard. 37, and Marketa Irglova, 19, a real life couple, definitely had found each other. Both professional musicians with limited acting experiences, Hansard and Irglova appear awkward and flat in the film, however, Carney allows them to adapt this major flaw into their personalities on screen, and also as the authenticity of the film. Casting ‘good singers who could half act,’ as Carney said in a Chicago interview, was an essential choice. The music really is the centerpiece of the film, and the way the emotion of the character blends with the songs to create a unified story is genuine and sincere.

The two main characters remain nameless throughout the movie. Credited as Guy and Girl, they understand each other through music, thus asking questions or giving answers seems unnecessary. Likewise, the audiences are able to empathize with the characters without knowing their names nor being assured that their relationship inclines love. When Guy finally decides to ask Girl if she still loves her husband, she answers him back in Czech, coyly refusing to tell Guy what it means – you may choose to find out what it means online, but some things are better left unknown!

This $160,000 low-budget movie filmed with a long lens camera even had an apologetic warning sign in Korean theatres before the showing, regarding its poor screen condition. However, the unsteady, home video like camera angle is what makes the movie seem much more real. In the beginning scene, the camera bobs along as it draws closer to the singing Guy. For a moment there, it is as if we are seeing Grafton, Dublin’s famous shopping district, through Girl’s eyes, not through a camera lens. This honest quality brings the viewers right to the heart of Dublin.
The movie that starts out with a lonely street performer makes a smooth transition to the scene where Guy, Girl, their band, friends and families are all gathered together around the dinner table, showing the creation of relationships in parallel to that of music.

Carney does a great job quilting the little pieces of the ordinary lives with mesmerizing melodies, capturing the moment of two talented musicians with burdened shoulders ‘falling slowly’ for each other.