ONCE [R]
Not only will this Irish delight prompt adventuresome moviegoers seeking relief from the summer onslaught to say, “Holy cow, I just sat through a musical!”, but will also find themselves adding more often than not, “and I really liked it, too!” It is a simple story of a street musician (or “busker”), played by Glen Hansard of the Irish rock band The Frames, who meets a lovely Czech immigrant, played by lovely Moravian singer Markéta Irglová. While they are both romantically unavailable – he is estranged from his girlfriend and she has a husband back home – they connect with music…and such beautiful music it is. Hansard and Irglová released the album The Swell Season in 2006, from which most of the music here comes, and it is all so gorgeous and true. The two are a natural together (and the 18-year-old Czech sweetie is especially remarkable, especially considering she has never acted before), and we cannot help but feel a voyeuristic thrill in thinking we are privy to something marvelous developing between them. Writer-director John Carney blends the elements together almost seamlessly, and it all adds up to one of the most memorable and atmospheric musical movies ever made. –Robert Newton