John Carney
Once

Him, Her, and the Music.

Let's clarify right away, to avoid any misunderstandings. There is also a story here, between a man and a woman. A story of friendship, at least that's how it begins. There could be, it seems to always be on the brink of erupting, love. Obviously, I won't tell you what happens (otherwise, who would watch the movie?).

There are the two of them, a Man and a Woman, we never know their names, in a beautiful Ireland. He, not too young, plays his songs on the street with his guitar when he's not in his father's shop repairing vacuum cleaners, or locked in his room writing and playing while watching images of his ex on the screen. She is an immigrant from the Czech Republic, very young, with a child to care for, money is scarce, she gets by with odd jobs, but she can play the piano, and she plays it in her free time in a music instrument shop, as she can't afford one of her own. They meet through music, they play and sing together, music is their bond, the magnet that attracts and keeps them together.

And as in every respectable musical, Music plays its part. He, in real life Glen Hansard, has a voice that at times resembles Cat Stevens', ideal for his sweet ballads, romantic and tear-jerking. She, Marketa Irglova (also in real life), is the perfect counterpoint, with a cold, Central European voice, almost with the passionate yet reserved way in which she plays the piano and sings. Incidentally, after seeing the film, I literally plunged into searching for information, a search that held quite a few surprises for me. Glen Hansard is the 37-year-old frontman (although in the film he seems younger) of the Frames, a moderately famous Irish pop rock band; and it was Hansard himself who discovered through her parents Marketa, then thirteen (she's now twenty, though in the film, unlike Hansard, she looks older), and he helped launch her into the music world, even having her play on the last Frames album (2007), and recording with her a duo album called Swell Season, albums in which quite a few of the songs that provide the backdrop for "Once" can be found.

And just to finish on a high note, but who the hell is this John Carney, the director? Well, in the series "it's a small world," none other than the former bassist of the Frames, who've been engaged with the camera for a few years now. As far as he's concerned, Carney proves to be quite skilled at imparting an Irish luminosity (little sun, lots of gray, much pallor, but also plenty of human warmth) to the story and its setting, and he gifts the songs with splendid music videos, reprising both their technique and style.

"Once" may not be a masterpiece, but it was one of the cinematic surprises of 2007, receiving several accolades in the independent cinema sector (the production is Irish), including for its soundtrack. A simple film, far from Hollywood stereotypes, pleasant, that invites viewing and re-viewing, romantic enough to be a musical, and another opportunity to discover and savor beautiful music.