Once

Reviewed by:
Gene Newman

Everyone we know who saw this wouldn't shut the hell up about how great it was. The hype surrounding this tiny flick about a street musician in Ireland was even bigger than Bono's arrogant sense of self-worth. With all that in mind, our only regret after watching it was we didn't see it sooner, because, as the Irish would say, it's fookin' great. The story isn't special, just about a boy and girl (we never learn their names) who meet randomly and inspire each other through music. Yep, it sounds sappy, but musician Glen Hansard and a cute Czek named Markéta Irglová sell it perfectly. There's not a false, um, note hit, and the songs are as great as they are catchy. (Think That Thing You Do! only more of them and minus the suck.) We defy you to watch this and not head over to YouTube and check out Hansard belting out some of the songs. It feels like a documentary, and doesn't have any of the Hollywood conventions that would have turned a movie like Once into a crappy chick flick. Or worse, a musical. The extras are light, but they're still inspiring and make you feel like it's okay to follow your dreams. Now, if we only had any talent we'd be on our way.

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