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The Review - AT THE MOVIES with WILLIAM HALL
Published: 18 October 2007

Glen Hansard (Guy) and Marketa Irglova

Streetwise Guy and his girl find love on a shoestring

ONCE - Directed by JOHN CARNEY
Certificate 15

ONCE is all it takes to find your soul-mate and fall in love – isn’t it?
But it doesn’t always work out the way it should, so be prepared for the fickle finger of fate to have the last laugh.
That’s the message of this poignant little romance set in Dublin and featuring Glen Hansard (from the bluegrass Frames band) as a struggling street musician who finds his world turned upside down by a vivacious young Czech immigrant (Marketa Irglova).
By fortuitous coincidence, she happens to be a talented concert pianist who works in a music shop – useful when her indulgent boss gives her free rein with the grand pianos in the show room.
The chemistry sparkles between the streetwise guitarist and the naïve girl as they create songs together in back rooms and beer halls while hoping for the big time.
With a larynx so powerful he puts the rush-hour city traffic to shame, Glen cuts a charismatic figure who commands the screen.
Director John Carney achieves an intimacy between the pair that eventually gives the piece a delightfully endearing quality – even if I have to say somewhat uncharitably that one or two of Glen’s vocals sound more like a cat being strangled.
The whole film was shot on a shoestring budget of £80,000, and remains a deserved triumph for all involved – including the crew who worked for free.

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