Once

Two musicians, an Irish folk singer and a Czech pianist, bond over a hoover, which sees the beginning of a quirky, adorable relationship. The two then set about recording an album over the weekend before going their separate ways. Beautiful melodies and a great cast make this film a great choice for a quiet Saturday evening.

This is a very well-made and compelling film. From the opening scene, where the busking protagonist gets his money stolen by a drug addict, the film is a classy and realistic view of love, life and Ireland. I think this is the first UK film I have seen with European immigrants in and it is also one of the only films to have the two protagonists not getting together in the end. On top of this, it has the added delight that you only realise when the credits begin – the main characters have no names, but are simply referred to as “guy” and “girl.”

What I love most about Once is the way it runs alongside the conventions of musicals and of romantic comedies, using these conventions to create tension and highlighting the realities of limitations caused by past relationships, which are often overlooked in your average Rom Com. I love how expectations are left unsatisfied and that is where the power of the film lies.

It’s hard to pick a favourite song, but I think the song that sums the film up most is the opening song, which begins as a - dare I say - bland, folk song, with some dodgy lyrics, before bursting into an electrifying, haunting, passionate chorus. In the same way, it is easy to lose the film’s thread in the first twenty minutes, because of the long shots it uses and the relatively slow plot build up, but suddenly it kicks in with the song, “Falling slowly” and after that, it doesn’t look back.

It may be worth concluding by saying that the sense of humour in Once is excellent and so subtly blended in that it is easy not to realise how often you have laughed out loud.