This summer, you can go see any number of movies about sexually ambiguous superheroes, wizards who try to cast spells against puberty and pop-locking robots. Or you can see a wonderful movie that could singlehandedly redefine the “musical” as we know it and change the entire way we look at that particular genre.
Summer is usually where cheese-mongers like Michael Bay and Jerry Bruckheimer reside and flourish. So when a film comes along during blockbuster time that knocks you on your keister, it gives you faith that creativity still has a heartbeat in the cracks and seams of the movie industry. “Once” grabbed hold of me and wouldn’t let me go, to the point where myself and the rest of the audience sat stunned as the final credits rolled. Usually, as soon as the final frame of a movie is over, 60 people go careening off each other so they can beat the person next to them to the minivan in the parking lot … with “Once,” not one person got up from their seat until a full two minutes after the flick had ended.
The tale of a Czech pianist (Marketa Irglova) and an Irish busker (Glen Hansard) – I didn’t know the term, but apparently it means “a person who entertains people for money in public places (as by singing or dancing)” – “Once” is the brainchild of writer-director John Carney, a former member of Hansard’s real-life band, the Frames. Credited as just “guy” and “girl,” Hansard and Irglova are both heart-broken wanderers who use music as an escape and a salve for their wounds. When a broken Hoover vacuum helps forge a bond between them and reveals the musical link that connects them, they embark on a quest to turn the soundtrack of their lives into an actual album, no matter the obstacles or challenges. The journey brings them closer and closer, yet also presents the myriad factors that will always keep them apart. One of the messages is that you may meet the one person you were always supposed to be with, but fate may still conspire to keep you apart … so hold on for the ride and learn from it.
The story may seem trite, and mere mention of the word “musical” sends most dudes running for the hills, but Carney’s work turns the concept of a musical on its ear. This tale is wrapped around unbelievable music, instead of the other way around. It’s almost like U2 and Arcade Fire decided to collaborate on an album about a movie about a love story. Astonishingly, the captivating Irglova was just 17 years old when “Once” was filmed, 18 years younger than Hansard; also, Carney pulled off this amazing creation on a $150,000 budget. The movie gathered momentum when its tender mix of melancholy and music blew away viewers at the Sundance Film Festival.
If you’re good with thoughtless, spoon-fed entertainment this summer, you’ll be sure to find a dozen movies that will fill that void for the requisite two hours and 15 minutes. But if you have 85 minutes to spare and a yearning for something moving and original, put “Once” on your list … without even realizing it, your laughing, crying and humming will chase you out of the theater and stick with you for hours.
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