A broken guitar and a borrowed piano

"Once" Film Review

The story is a simple one. The film-making closely resembles a home-video in its quality. The raw, inexperienced acting creates a desire for subtitles. This is the independent film “Once,” directed and written by John Carney. However, these simplistic, unrefined elements in conjunction with the powerful music combine to create a musical that stands apart from others in its genre.

“Once” begins with Glen Hansard (“Guy”) as an Irish busker, playing his guitar for small change on Grafton, Dublin's famous shopping street. Markéta Irglová’s “Girl”, a Czech immigrant, peddles roses on this same street. Intrigued by his music, Girl stops to talk to Guy and they start up what appears to be a quirky but natural conversation. He tells her he works at a Hoover repair shop; she says she has a broken vacuum cleaner. This common bond over vacuum cleaners extends to other aspects of their life, including their personal relationships - his former girlfriend deserted him to move to London and the father of her toddler has gone back to the Czech Republic - they both have had loved ones walk out on them. Music is their other bond and this defines their relationship. It is this love of music and the creation of music, together, that create the rest of the story. Simply put, the story is of two strangers meeting, foraging a friendship, and through that friendship, music is created.

Despite the fact that the film looks as if anyone with a video-camera could have shot it, there is an honest quality about it. This film was produced with a low budget (approximately $160,000) but Carney uses this to his advantage in making the film more intimate and real. The scenes and settings are not anything too elaborate or high-tech, but in fact, for some of the places, they are shot in friends’ homes. For instance, the music party scene was filmed in Hansard’s own flat with his personal friends and family playing the partygoers and/or musicians. Overall, the effect of such a simplistic style is taking the focus off the surroundings and placing it directly on the characters and their music.

With the focus now placed on the characters, Carney was adamant about having characters who could sing well and previous acting experience was not a requirement. And so casted to play “Guy” and “Girl” (never introduced or named until the final credits) were musicians Glen Hansard (of popular Irish rock band The Frames) and Markéta Irglová (a 19-year old Czech immigrant) as the fictional struggling musicians. Because of this deficiency in experience, the dialogue between the characters was indistinct and created the need for subtitles. Despite this, their modest, down-to-earth performances and on-screen chemistry enhance the story, which has an improvisational, straightforward feel.

It is the music, above everything else, which highlights this film. It overshadows the inaudible dialogue between the characters and is what creates the movement in the story. The music is folksy and familiar but, at the same time, powerful. This is a musical that lets the music dictate. In one of the more memorable scenes, Irglová, having just composed lyrics to Hansard's music, pours her heart out in song as she walks around the streets of Dublin at night, wearing only her pajamas and slippers. The music in this film does more than just convey words and sounds – it portrays emotions, passions, and makes no apologies – it is real and sincere.

In lieu of the others in this genre, “Once” attempts, and succeeds, to create a film that moves with its music – music created from a broken guitar and a borrowed piano.