DVD Review: “Once” * * * 1/2
The bare beauty of “Once” is that it is a musical that never feels like a musical. This story about a Dublin busker (Glen Hansard of the Irish band The Frames) and an Eastern European pianist (Marketa Irglova) unfolds with such natural, unforced grace, it almost feels like director John Carney is eavesdropping. And since the story involves songwriters working on heartfelt music, “Once” never has that unreal “spontaneous song and dance” element so intrinsic to most musicals.
“Guy” and “girl” never do tell us their names as they go from being strangers to becoming collaborators, friends and potential soul mates. Still, as the relationship develops through Carney’s careful, documentary-like storytelling, it becomes clear that “Once” is not a fairy tale romance. But it is as lyrical as the sweet and sad music Hansard and Irglova create together.
There is an inevitability to “Once” that makes the film even more magical: before he was a director, Carney was the original bassist for The Frames. One year after Hansard started that group, he acted in his only role prior to “Once,” playing in the Irish soul band fable, “The Commitments.” And Irglova and Hansard are now a couple after having met through music. For “Once,” a musical reflects real life and love.
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Comments
I was hypnotized by it too this summer, catching it during a brief trip to New York. I’ve intended to catch it at every OKC screening since then, but always missed it. I’ve resisted renting it on DVD in the hopes that I’ll get it in my Christmas stocking, and spend a cozy evening sharing it with my wife for the first time. I hope it holds up; I’ve convinced myself that it wasn’t as great as I remembered, that it was only a very good film with great music and lovely performances. It’s fallen (slowly) down my top films of the year list with each successive viewing of “No Country for Old Men” and the anticipation of “There WIll Be Blood” and “I’m Not There.” But who am I kidding? I’ll love it again, I’m sure.
I have to admit I’m one of the few people I know who wasn’t just entranced by “Once.” I liked it, definitely, but this movie seems to have an either-you-are-hypnotized-by-it-or-not response to it.