see ONCE twice

Rating: 9/10 (27 May 2007)

If the original lead actor (Cillian Murphy) hadn't dropped out at the last minute this movie probably would have felt extremely melodramatic and clichéd, but Hansard's spot-on authentic portrayal is amazing mostly due in part to the fact that he isn't really acting but playing himself. There is also a beautiful scene involving the lead actress trying to write the lyrics to one of his songs as she is walking home from a convenience store that illustrates the creative process on a realistic level that I have never really seen done before on film. Amazing that this film was made for $150,000. The fact that they didn't have a lot of money actually, in my opinion, helps make the film that much better. There are elements of naturalism and realism working in this film on levels that are sorely missed in today's mainstream cinema. Anyone who loves music and/or learning about the creative process of writing will thoroughly enjoy this small gem of a film. The well-written script also surprisingly manages to NOT take the predictable road one might expect when making a film of this nature, which is an extremely tough task to begin with. You'll know what I'm talking about after you see it.