Great music, well written, and two great stars.

Rating: 10/10 (11 October 2007)

We were lucky enough to see "Once" at a free screening, at Bristol's Watershed Media Centre. It was actually a bit like going to a premiere, because the stars Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová were there. It's actually hard to believe that neither of them is an actor - the interplay between them on-screen was a joy to watch. There's also a lot of very natural humour, so a good laugh is guaranteed.
After the film, they answered questions from the audience as well as from the Watershed's Programme Director, Mark Cosgrove. During this, it transpired that the director originally intended to cast a woman of around 35 for the 'female immigrant' part, but wasn't able to find anyone. So it was Glen Hansard who suggested Markéta Irglová, whom he had met a few years earlier.
They then performed some of the songs from the film, using Glen's rather well-used guitar and just a microphone each. Even playing as live and un-produced as you can get (no mixing desk or anything), they sounded as brilliant as they did in the film, Markéta's voice sounding especially haunting when she sang a solo.
All in all, this was a film I would been happy to pay to see.