Once...

Last night's film was firmly S's choice. After enduring a week of being called a 'film bully' I finally caved in and sat down determined to thoroughly hate her choice of film. Instead 2006's Once was something of a revelation.

Once (2006) - John Carney



I was expecting something of the cloying, sickly sweet romantic comedy but instead I was thoroughly charmed. The film looks and feels almost homemade, it had a tiny budget (the film was made for $100,000). But rather than looking unprofessional or distracting from the story it creates this intimate link between you and the characters, as if you're intruding on their love story.

The film tells the story of a young Irish busker and a Czech immigrant who meet on the streets of Dublin. Both poor, lost and lonely. In a similar fashion to Before Sunrise, the couple have a limited time together and face an unsure fate but we are shown their love story through the music they write and record together.

Yeah, putting it in words like that does make it sound a bit soppy but it's not. It's funny and heartwarming and bittersweet. The performances are wonderful and the music they make together is truely moving, if not exactly to my taste. In fact the film is probably best remembered for winning the 2008 Academy Award for best song for Falling Slowly.

So all in all good pick S!