Once

Once is a charming, bittersweet and romantic musical film from Irish writer/director John Carney.

Guy (Glen Hansard) is a street musician on the streets of Dublin. He also works in his father's vacuum repair shop. One day a lovely young woman (Marketa Irglova) stops buy to hear him play. She gives him a small donation and tells him how talented he is. It turns out that she if from the Czech Republic and lives in Dublin with her mother and young daughter. They form a friendship and professionally record some music together. Oddly enough, we never find out either one of their names.

Yes, they fall for each other but things are not so simple. I will not tell you happens between them. You must go and see this wonderful and find out for yourself. But if this film does not move you then you have a heart made of stone.

Both Hansard and Irglova are musicians (he is in a group called The Frames), not actors. And the music in the film is terrific. I want buy the soundtrack. Once, which Carney made for very little money, is one of my favorite films of the year (so far). And while you are at it, check out one of Charney previous films on DVD - On the Edge starring Cillian Murphy and Stephen Rea. It is quite a good film.