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Once (2006)

Director: John Carney

Time Out rating

Average user rating

18 reviews

Movie review

From Time Out London

Winner of the Audience Award at this year’s Sundance, John Carney’s poignant, modern-day love story set on the streets of Dublin offers a brooding alternative to the traditional conventions of the musical. Starring musicians, Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, as the unnamed leads, the film centres on their unlikely relationship when the ‘Girl’ (Irglová), an immigrant pianist, helps the ‘Guy’ (Hansard), a street busker, to make a demo to take to London. Attracted by their mutual adoration for music, a hesitant but empathetic relationship swiftly develops as they come to terms with past loves through the delicately veiled metaphors of lyrics that are subtly woven into the narrative. The performances unfold in music shops, buses, recording studios and late-night apartments, where Carney settles in for long, intimate shots of the pair, whose songs articulate more about the characters than any monologue could. Too shrewd for idealistic closure, the film’s stiff dose of postmodern angst thwarts numerous, romanticised perceptions of love, sex and conjugal possibility; besides, the Guy’s too old for the Girl and still infatuated with his ex, and she has a child and an estranged husband back in the Czech Republic.

Shot on DV, Carney’s highly charged, urban mise-en-scène with its blinking street lamps, vacant shops and dishevelled bed-sits provides ample poetic backdrop for the film’s lengthy tracking shots, epitomised in a sequence where the Girl walks to the corner shop in pyjamas and slippers while listening to one of the Guy’s songs on her personal stereo. With outstanding performances from Hansard and new-comer Irglová, Carney has created a sublime, visual album of unassuming and self-assured eloquence.

Author: Amy Simmons

Time Out London Issue 1939: October 17-23 2007

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User reviews of this film

Rob L said...

Posted on Feb 19 2011 10:08 It’s beautifully crafted, and totally fails to become slushy and sentimental . The songs are so emotive, the lyrics so evocative, telling the story better than any words can. The proof for me is that all the songs stand on their own, outside of the film. Who says you need to spend millions to make a great film? I’m giving it four stars, but I feel mean!

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Pete said...

Posted on Jun 01 2010 13:53 The worst film I have seen for a very long time. I barely made it to the end. Terrible songs and depressing locations. Buskers make shopping an even worse experience than pickpockets.

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carly said...

Posted on May 23 2010 17:37 amazing!!! You must watch :)

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PJ said...

Posted on Mar 29 2010 14:05 Whilst the music wont be to everyone's taste (and indeed a little twee for me at times) its still worth a listen and it does get better as the film unfolds and it gets used a form of dialogue and communication between the characters, the characters themselves and the story i svery enjoyable.
I sat watching the development of characters and their relationshipp with hope but without optimism. You knew it was going to be amissed opportunity when he asks "who do you love?" and she replies in Czeck that she loves him.
i really enjoyed this film how many of us have looked out of the window the way she did at the end.
make up your own mind but definately worth a view and just possible you might watch it more than once

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Emily said...

Posted on Feb 22 2010 20:28 A pleasant story of friendship, love... Reminded me Lost In Translation. I didn't know it was a musical; the songs were really good, but I was expecting a bit more from an Oscar film...

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romena said...

Posted on May 21 2009 06:04 cant stop thinking about it after watching it--really made an impact to me, I wish life doesnt need to be that difficult ...and painful.

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beaver said...

Posted on Jan 10 2009 22:31 PANCE. this film was so agonising to watch I didnt get beyond the first 20 mins and only lasted that far because my husband said it was feeding his tumour. the male singer's contorted earnestness, the painfully contrived set ups, the terrible, adolescent, cringing empty songs. arrghh. what is wrong with everybody!

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John said...

Posted on Jul 31 2008 09:03 I haven't enjoyed watching a film as much in years. After watching this truly excellent film, I walked away knowing it would be a short time before I see it again. Well done to all concerned.

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Les Molloy said...

Posted on Apr 24 2008 00:01 One thing I can assure you is I will only watch this rubbish ONCE! It left me completely cold and quite how this selection of turgid durge songs can win a BEST SONG OSCAR is beyond me. It may have only cost a plate of fish and chips and a pint of Guiness to make but this doesn't make it a masterpiece. Think of HALF NELSON - Low budget and BRILLIANT! I see over 150 films a year. This has got to be the WORSE for a long time. Thankfully I haven't seen JUMPER!

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Cammy said...

Posted on Apr 02 2008 17:42 This film is AMAZING! It even made my dad cry - and he's hard! Seriously this is an amazing film, I loved it so much the first time I saw it I watched it again straight away! I definatley recommend it!!!!!

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Wendy Kochenthal said...

Posted on Mar 16 2008 14:53 I am not sending in a comment to appear on the site. I WANT TO KNOW, PLEASE, IF THERE IS A CD OF THE MUSIC IN ONCE, or if you know of a recording of Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova. Thankyou!

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Niamh said...

Posted on Feb 07 2008 12:03 Beautiful songs, particularly the song sang in the studio by Glen Hansard- gave me shivers up my spine. This film made me cry. Thank God- no last minute dash to the airport for a reunion. Fantastic. Make more Irish films of this quality.

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J. Strimmer E. said...

Posted on Nov 30 2007 12:22 The kind of film which overwhelms me in its breathless scope. Genuine ,big hearted, generous. It touches at our romantic notions if we have them. I wanted them to be together. I wanted to listen to the songs over and over again with my own sense of resonance with my own meaning in perception of it. I felt emotional but I didn't cry, I just recognised my own experience of life through this film. A classic, all ready.

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Nick Floyd said...

Posted on Nov 29 2007 17:49 Tedious non-event padded to feature length by a series of interminable caterwauled dirges.

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Hywel Edwards said...

Posted on Nov 11 2007 17:24 A real audience pleaser, a beautiful film

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