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Glen Hansard, Markéta Irglová, Hugh Walsh, Gerard Hendrick, Alastair Foley ... see more see more... , Geoff Minogue , Bill Hodnett , Danuse Ktrestova , Darren Healy , Mal Whyte , Marcella Plunkett , Niall Cleary , Witold Owski , Krzysztos Tlotka , Tomek Glowacki , Attila Kouvacs , Sean Millar , Pat McGrath , Praghosa , Kate Haugh , Senan Haugh , Catherine Hansard , Pete Short , Fergus OFarrell , Bob Hoban , Martina Akindojctimi , Ruslan Mannanu , Francis Usanga , Price Tylot Khumaho , Joe Adebe , Bernard Gibsenen , Paul Clarke , Maire Walsh , Dave Cleary , Keith Byrne , Alaistair Foley

A Dublin-based busker and vacuum-cleaner repairman enters into a fruitful relationship with a piano playing florist in a toe-tapping "video album" directed by John Carney and featuring a cast comprise... read more read more...d entirely of professional musicians. He (Glen Hansard of the Frames) was a six-stringed street musician. She (Markéta Irglová) was a flower woman who couldn't afford to purchase a piano of her own. One day, after admiring the musician's songs and asking if he would take a look at her broken vacuum, the flower-pushing piano player discovers that she shares a remarkable sonic rapport with the mechanically savvy guitarist. As their musical sensibilities quickly converge to striking effect, the talented pair soon determines to record an album together. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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90% liked it

179,387 ratings

Critics

97% liked it

154 critics

R, 1 hr. 26 min.

Directed by: John Carney

Release Date: May 18, 2007

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DVD Release Date: December 18, 2007

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Once Once Once Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova in ONCE Marketa Irglova Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova in ONCE Glen Hansard in ONCE One Sheet - ONCE Marketa Irglova and Glen Hansard in ONCE Hugh Walsh, Alastair Foley, Gerry Hendrick, Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova in ONCE Glen Hansard, Writer/Director John Carney, Marketa Irglova on the set of ONCE Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova in ONCE Glen Hansard, Writer/Director John Carney, Marketa Irglova on the set of ONCE Marketa Irglova and Glen Hansard in ONCE Writer and Director John Carney on the set of ONCE Once Once Once
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Flixster Reviews (20,927)

  • fb791220692
    January 9, 2012
    fb791220692
    An intensely organic musical that will appeal more to musicians, Once lets viewers feel the passion of the two main characters through their musical performances, which unfold as a natural process of the story, unlike most musicals. Despite not being trained actors, both Glen Han... read moresard and Marketa Irglova give likable performances, though Hansard is clearly more skilled. While the narrative itself is pretty basic and many of the scenes are akin to bland montages, as a whole the film is a beautiful narrative video album - and a good album at that. The music itself is highly recommended.
  • FireStormStudios
    January 8, 2012
    FireStormStudios
    I had really high expectations and hopes for this film, but after watching it, I really hate to say it was one of the most boring films I have ever seen. Looking at it as a "video album" it's not bad and the music is sensational, but as a narrative film it didn't give me any con... read morenection to the characters. It's a slice of life out of the characters' lives. Hitchcock said films are "Life with all the boring parts taken out." Well without trying to sound condescending, this was the opposite. On a lighter note, the music is wonderful, but I would have much rather listened to the soundtrack than the film.
  • aliceinpunderland
    December 31, 2011
    aliceinpunderland
    Twenty minutes into the movie, I thought, "Aww everything everyone said about this movie pre-Oscar season 2008 is truuuueee!" Quirky opening scene and meet-cute. Sweet and likable main characters. Moving music. After that though, the movie devolves into long and amateur YouTu... read morebe videos, showcasing very good songs, albeit in very staid ways in terms of mise-en-scene.

    Glen Hansard is like John Mayer's manic older brother, and I mean that in a good way. Marketa Irglova has a lovely face and singing voice, but methinks the language barrier tripped her up. The character is written to say "fuck" too much, and Irglova doesn't sell each swear. I remember the pair's Oscar win debacle when the orchestra started playing before Irglova could give her thanks. I was sad to hear they called it quits after the movie :~(
  • hunterjt13
    October 27, 2011
    hunterjt13
    A guitarist and a piano player form a musical partnership that eventually compels him to reform his life.
    The story and to some degree the method of telling this story are both interesting, but it is so over-loaded with music that the characters' arcs took a backseat to yet anoth... read moreer indie rock number. Also, there is a lot left unexplained. What is the back-story surrounding the girl and her husband? What about the Busker's girlfriend? Why does she resist a relationship, especially considering the same obstacles present themselves no matter whom she ends up with? These character questions aren't tangential to the plot, and the audience deserves some kind of explanation, but instead we get more musical numbers. These songs are good, and I'm even mildly interested in the soundtrack, but good, soulful, well-written music does not make a whole film.
  • murphmann93
    June 23, 2011
    murphmann93
    Walked out half way through. Truly awful! The acting was terrible. Really bad.
  • 76Majikat
    January 26, 2011
    76Majikat
    It really helps with this film, if you are passionate about music and singer songwriters to apprecieate the depth of feeling that went into making this film.

    The brilliantly talented stars of the film are musicians turned Actors, but did equally as well in their natural perfor... read moremances throughout the film.

    The friendship connection here is electrical and the voices and instruments together, make for a great movie soundtrack (I know I've bought Soundtrack and DVD since watching this).

    What's probably perfection about this piece is the pure simplicity of the storyline, which highlights the interaction between the cast members.

    So impressed with this film, this is one I will be watching over and over and a day hasn't gone by since, that I haven't listed to Falling Slowly.
  • cosmo313
    August 13, 2010
    cosmo313
    I'd give this 4.25 if I could. It gets a letter grade of something arounf the B+ to A- range. I really liked it, but at the same time, had a hard time sitting down to watch it. Guess I was just too tired and worn out from watching Lawrence of Arabia earlier in the day.

    This i... read mores a nice and sweet little film, but it's not for all tastes. If you like low-budget, independet, plot-light documentary style musicals shot on DV, then you'll absolutely love this. For everyone else,well, it's hit or miss. It is a musical, but the music is absolutely wonderful, and it helps that the two leads are actual musicians and recording partners. If you don't like musicals, I would avoid this, because much of the movie is verite stuff without people sitting around making music.

    The performances are quite good and very naturalistic. They fit the style and concept of the film well. For artistically inclined romantics, you'll probably be able to relate to this. The direction is very free and loose, yet has control without it being too noticeable, if that makes any sense .

    I don't know if I'd watch this one too often, but I can't see myself not seeing it again.
  • smith44
    February 5, 2010
    smith44
    A little music film that moves emotional mountains. Once is diamond in the ruff. Amateurishly filmed, it looks as if it was shot by someone with a handheld camera (I guess anyone can make a movie these days) a painfully obvious small to no existent budget, with actors that seems ... read moreas though they were taken from the streets of Dublin, and an even smaller production quality, Once is not slick, not spectacular and definitely not your average Hollywood music film and yet it is a truly moving film. At the heart of Once is it?s soulful music, better than most of the rubbish on the radio or on the pop charts, the music comes from the soul and brings the film to life. The music acts as dialogue saying more than the ordinary conversation ever could, and offers the audience a poetic look at the inner most feelings of the characters. A modern day romantic fairytale set in the ordinary spoken world and in the spiritual sung world, alternating between the two. And yet the two worlds only really come together for a brief moment and then are pulled apart and there lies the sad truth. The realities of the world await the characters once the music writing, making and singing end. A beautiful film full of humanity Once is a gem. A film like Once only really comes around once in a while, so don?t miss it.
  • ironclad1609
    January 17, 2010
    ironclad1609
    This beautiful story of two musicians becoming friends (and more?) on the streets of Dublin is a little wonder of a film. Not only does it feel very fresh, natural and real, the movie doesn't even need a lot of words to make us feel for the two lovely main characters. The songs t... read morehey sing do not feel out of place or forced into the scene, like in many other musicals, but as an important part. When they sing "Falling slowly" together for the first time in an instrument store it's impossible not to fall for this film. Of course it helps that the rest of the songs are just as wonderful. The sweet humor is another plus and so it feels those 95 minutes are over way too quickly, and we would have loved to follow those two around a little longer. Wonderful, touching, lovable.
  • blacksheepboy
    December 19, 2009
    blacksheepboy
    A truly special, magical, captivating love story with a beautiful soundtrack, this film is sweet, romantic, told in such a simple way, and it presents two adorable characters that never seem unreal.

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Critic Reviews

Bob Mondello
October 18, 2008
Bob Mondello, NPR.org

So this is how you make a low-budget musical these days! Full Review

Christopher Orr
September 18, 2008
Christopher Orr, New Republic

In an era when Hollywood has largely lost the ability to distinguish between romance and sex, Once is the rare film that recognizes that love is no less love for being held in check, it is merely a di... Full Review

Mark Bourne
December 19, 2007
Mark Bourne, Film.com

Once doesn't plop its emotions on its characters' sleeves, and it trusts us enough to leave some of the best stuff unstated. In other words, it trusts us to know that half the music lies between the n... Full Review

Christy Lemire
August 9, 2007
Christy Lemire, Associated Press

Forget everything you think you know about the movie musical, one of the more predictable genres. With Once, writer-director John Carney deconstructs it and reinvents it as something wholly new, inspi... Full Review

Roger Moore
June 28, 2007
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel

This lovely tale of a love affair between a Dublin street musician and a flower girl will leave you wistful for more. It's a movie to fall in love with and a movie to fall in love during. It is the mo... Full Review

Andrew Sarris
June 27, 2007
Andrew Sarris, New York Observer

Don't miss Once. It has to be seen and heard to be believed and enjoyed. Full Review

Kenneth Turan
June 7, 2007
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times

Are you looking for a little film you can make your own, an enchanting, unpretentious blend of music and romance you can watch forever? If you do, Once is about to come into your life and make it whole. Full Review

Carrie Rickey
June 7, 2007
Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer

Told with the simplicity of a Chaplin film (more than once I was reminded of City Lights), Once has the tentative and unpredictable amble of a chance encounter rather than the absolute and overdetermi... Full Review

Bill Muller
June 2, 2007
Bill Muller, Arizona Republic

Given [director] Carney's roughshod methods, Once never resembles a standard studio offering, which works much to its benefit. Between Carney's unadorned writing and his rustic directing approach, Onc...

Lisa Kennedy
June 1, 2007
Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post

One of the movie's pleasures is that it keeps us asking what sort of love story will Once become? Full Review

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