I’ve watched John Carney’s (Begin Again, Sing Street) Once in its entirety three times. I saw it in 2007 during its theatrical run. I saw it another time between that and my 2024 rewatch. I have felt myself connecting with it less with each subsequent viewing, yet appreciating it more. What is ironic is that when I first saw the film, it felt like an original masterpiece, and that is something I don’t feel anymore. Perhaps that was because I needed to see more movies following the fairly generic formula. Or maybe it was because I’ve seen too many films that have followed that blueprint, resulting in Once feeling less original than I initially found. As I write this review, I try to balance that original perception against how I react to the film 14 years later.
Carney’s first mainstream film is so subtle that its story and message could be missed entirely if the viewer doesn’t invest themselves in it. It is so inconspicuous that some could find it utterly dull while others, expecting something more extravagant, might even become irritated. Carney wants this film to feel so inconspicuous that he chooses even not to give his characters names. Real-life musician Glen Hansard, a street musician in Dublin, Ireland, is simply called Guy. Guy plays his guitar and sings for donations, more as a side hustle before his likely inevitable path of following his father’s footsteps as a vacuum cleaner repairman. Of course, he clings to a dream where he might finally get noticed and, perhaps, achieve enough acclaim to sustain himself as a full-time musician.
Markéta Irglová (who was seventeen at filming) stars Girl, a musician herself who has had to put that part of her life on hold as she navigates her way to make ends meet, caring for herself, her mother, and her young daughter, so much so, that she doesn’t even have access or a means to play the piano. Awkwardly timid and a people-pleaser at heart, Girl does know when to take, and she does so in an amusing fashion more than once. The girl sees a certain humanness in Guy’s music or a profound pain that she becomes so curious to learn more about that she gathers the courage to approach him one day. The two quickly become friends.
Guy’s friend owns a music store with a piano. Guy invites Girl to play the piano for him. Before long, they write and perform music with and for each other. As their friendship continues to unfold, we feel certain that these two attractive people with similar interests and instantaneously natural musical chemistry will fall in love with each other, and some drama will eventually result. This is what movies do, so why would Once be any different?
Once is not a rags-to-riches film. This isn’t a subdued version of A Star Is Born. It’s a film about human connection, not that A Star Is Born is not. While Guy and Girl aren’t striving to achieve fame, they start making music they are proud of. The satisfaction of producing and recording honest songs brings innate joy to each of them and the others in their group. At its core, it’s about two individuals searching for, finding, and questioning their identity. Guy and Girl have each had their life path, with some beautiful and some not-so-beautiful turns along the way. Just as with the beginning of any relationship, whether within a vocation, a community, a friendship, or a romantic partnership, there are elements of discovery, compatibility, communication, trust, and more. Is this relationship worth pursuing? To what extent? We get hints at Guy’s and Girl’s backstories, though Carney leaves plenty of ambiguity. Revealing too much in this review will ruin the movie.
Carney’s film is beautiful, heartfelt, and realistic. While it doesn’t tug at your heartstrings, you will root for each lead character. The film offers plenty of subtle hints about how it might conclude, though these clues may only be identified after the watch is complete and the viewer revisits.
Plot 8/10
Character Development 8.5/10
Character Chemistry 9/10
Acting 8.5/10
Screenplay 8.5/10
Directing 8.5/10
Cinematography 8/10
Sound 10/10
Hook and Reel 9/10
Universal Relevance 10/10
88%
B+
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