Once -- A movie musical (sort of)
Once -- A movie musical (sort of)
#1Once -- A movie musical (sort of)
Posted: 5/28/07 at 10:05pm
Since reading about it after Sundance, I finally saw "Once" today after a TON of positive (some ecstatic) reviews from critics. It has a 97% overall rating at RottenTomatoes.com and 100% from the major critics...
I pm'd the MovieMusicals.net guy about it, but they still haven't posted anything. But "Once" is as much of a musical as something like "Cabaret" (film) is. The characters perform the music "in their real world" but the story also gets pushed along by the songs.
"Once" is about a street singer in Dublin who meets a young Czech woman (Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova). The movie follows their tentative friendship/relationship as they perform their self-written songs (the actors actually performed and mostly wrote their own songs) and struggle to record them.
The music is rough and beautiful, the acting is natural, the songs are memorable, etc. It has a non-depressing but incredibly touching ending (I was smiling but tearing up), and REALLY sticks with you. The muddy DV photgrapy is gorgeous at times, murky at others.
This movie is soooooo worth seeking out and letting it just wash over you. I felt touched and entertained and never once condescended to. Check out the trailer:
http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox_searchlight/once/
Reviews:
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/once/
I can't recommend this touching, pseudo-musical more highly!
Updated On: 5/28/07 at 10:05 PM
#2re: Once -- A movie musical (sort of)
Posted: 5/28/07 at 10:34pmAww, I just saw this film this afternoon. It was such a great, charming film. I'm a huge fan of Glen Hansard and his band, The Frames, so I thought the music was fantastic. I cannot recommend this film enough.
A little swash, a bit of buckle - you'll love it more than bread.
#2re: Once -- A movie musical (sort of)
Posted: 5/28/07 at 11:40pm
Other than reading about him recently, I'm not too familiar with Hansard or the Frames. Kind of a peripheral fan though now!
I do wish I'd been able to see the cast perform with a screening here in Chicago about three weeks back. They did a 21-city tour to promote the movie; it just ended.
#3re: Once -- A movie musical (sort of)
Posted: 5/29/07 at 11:17am
BUMP:
Anyone else see this over the weekend? Planning to?
#4re: Once -- A movie musical (sort of)
Posted: 5/29/07 at 11:25am
You can catch a music video from one of the songs here:
https://www.broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=17830
"A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men" - Willy Wonka
#5re: Once -- A movie musical (sort of)
Posted: 5/29/07 at 11:38am
Sooooo cool. One of the first movies I can remember where I actually BELIEVED that I was really watching people "create" original music, not just pretending to...
Not being even remotely musical myself, I watch people create music (in person) with the same look on my face the two leads had for each other throughout "Once."
shesamarshmallow
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/23/06
#6re: Once -- A movie musical (sort of)
Posted: 5/29/07 at 11:40amDang, I have nothing to do right now and totally forgot to go see this movie that starts at 11:40... sigh. Tomorrow, I guess.
broadwayunderstudies.com - most underrated performers on broadway
#7re: Once -- A movie musical (sort of)
Posted: 5/29/07 at 1:03pmSeen it twice-- the second time the two leads were there performing a few songs afterwards. It's a really beautiful, charming film.
Huey's Pop
Featured Actor Joined: 4/19/05
#8re: Once -- A movie musical (sort of)
Posted: 5/29/07 at 1:08pm
I saw it at the Arclight in Hollywood on Friday. Although I had read remarkable reviews for it -- and I did enjoy it -- I didn't think it lived up to all the hype. Maybe it was my mood, or the time of day.... who knows.
I'm recommending that it be seen on DVD -- with the subtitles TURNED ON. Kinda difficult to understand a lot of the dialogue.
#9re: Once -- A movie musical (sort of)
Posted: 5/29/07 at 1:19pm
To respond to Huey's Pop's post... that's something I knew would be a problem when I first saw it.
It is absolutely NOT a movie that will benefit from it's hype. It's just an incredibly simple, small film with a whole lot of resonance and charm. It's a little film about two people who meet and click and create music together for a week-- it's definitely not "Dreamgirls."
#10re: Once -- A movie musical (sort of)
Posted: 5/29/07 at 3:23pm
I read about this movie in Backstage a little while ago
I'm glad it's recieving so much positive feedback
seems really good
Once upon a time I used to play with toys,
but now I'd rather play around with teenage boys
#11re: Once -- A movie musical (sort of)
Posted: 5/29/07 at 3:30pm
Agreed about the dialogue. I can usually make out most accents with no problem, but this one had me stumped a couple of times... Especially at the beginning.
Also agreed that too much hype could hurt a simple little film like this. (And I am obviously guilty of this...)
And cute dog, Huey's Pop! What kind? Labradoodle? (that's what I have...) You can PM me to keep this from veering too off-topic. 
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/31/69
#12re: Once -- A movie musical (sort of)
Posted: 5/29/07 at 7:19pm
Was completely charmed by it too. A great, small, short, simple, sweet film.
E
being.jeremiah
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/23/05
#13re: Once -- A movie musical (sort of)
Posted: 5/29/07 at 7:29pmGoing to see it tonight- AMC Empire 25!
#15re: Once -- A movie musical (sort of)
Posted: 7/14/07 at 7:27pmI thought it was a sweet little movie. I want tos ee it again on DVD wothout the irritating Times Square audience
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