Once (2006)

Directed by: John Carney | 85 minutes | drama, music, romance, musical | Actors: Glen Hansard, Markéta Irglová, Hugh Walsh, Gerard Hendrick, Alaistair Foley, Catherine Hansard, Kate Haugh, Senan Haugh, Darren Healy, Bill Hodnett, Danuse Ktrestova, Pat McGrath, Sean Miller, Geoff Minogue, Leslie Murphy, Wiltold Owski, Marcella Plunkett, Praghosa, Pete Short, Krzysztos Tiotka, Mal Whyte

‘Once’ is an Irish musical love story that carries all the risks of such a theme. Still, director John Carey skillfully avoided it. It’s a small movie, made on a small budget. The story is simple: a nice young man who works in his father’s business and repairs vacuum cleaners, among other things, performs in his spare time as a street singer in Dublin. The relationship with his girlfriend has just broken down, his ex-girlfriend has slept with someone else and he sings about his suffering in his songs. Secretly, however, he still loves her.

At a street performance, he meets a Czech immigrant who sells roses on the street. She likes his songs and asks him to give his ear. When she hears that he is actually a vacuum cleaner repairman, she takes her broken vacuum cleaner the next day to have it repaired by him. The scenes in which they walk through Dublin like a dog on a leash with the vacuum cleaner are amusing and testify to beautiful camera direction.

The developments that follow are in line with expectations. The friendship between the two blossoms. Will this lead to a relationship? The movie certainly has a happy ending like a love story, but that’s not necessarily the ending you’d expect.

The lead role of Guy is played by Glen Hansard, singer of the Irish group ‘The Frames’. He appears to be a natural talent and acts credibly. Markéta Irglová plays the role of a young immigrant very naturally. The interplay is more than infectious.

In itself, such a film story needs little depth and that is not in it. The story is simple, but well shot with beautiful pictures of photogenic Dublin. The dialogues play a lesser role, the songs and lyrics have an important function and partly replace that dialogue. In the film we also see some pictures of the traditional Irish singing (together) in the ‘singing pubs’. The story develops carefully and the camerawork is soothingly calm.

Great music, good atmosphere, beautiful street scenes, a feel good movie for a relaxing evening.