Once

If there is one movie you see this summer, make it Once. It is absolutely spellbinding. I can’t stress enough how beautiful it is. I suppose you can call it a modern-day musical, as it showcases a string of terrifically written songs by an Irish street performer in Dublin and his new Czech female friend, who yearns to play the piano. They make music together, they bond, and they possibly fall in love, although neither one of them can come clean and say it – just like real life. The emotions are raw, real, and completely heartfelt. It’s sweet, short, and simply amazing. The guy, played by Glen Hansard, comes from the Irish band The Frames and the girl, Marketa Irglova, is a singer from the Czech Republic. So really, it’s almost the real-life story of the two, with some minor changes. Please, I beg of you, if Once is playing nearby, go see it! Unless you have no soul, or can’t appreciate independent filmmaking, then I promise you will like, if not love, this film. FYI – sometimes you have to pay close attention, as thick Irish and Czech accents can be a bit tricky to decipher. Luckily this doesn’t get in the way of their singing.

Directed by John Carney
Runtime: 85 minutes