Fall in love with this magnificent film more than Once!

Rating: 9/10 (14 October 2012)

'Once' is a 2006 Irish musical film and is one of the best Romantic love stories I ever watched. Made in 17 days and at a cost of less than $150K, major points of the film are its simplicity, great performances and heart touching music.
I'd like to start with accolades to get the idea of its strong effect in general. One of its tracks "Falling Slowly" won the 2007 Oscar (Academy Award for Best Original Song). Two leads Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová composed and performed all of the original songs in the movie, although they both are musicians first and actors second. The soundtrack album has mesmerizing 15 songs which topped many charts worldwide. Film was met with extremely high positive reviews from critics. Film eventually earned another 16 wins & 21 nominations in major awards that year.
The Film is about two characters, an unnamed, thirty-something 'Guy' played by Glen Hansard, who sings and plays guitar at Dublin streets and an unnamed young Czech immigrant flower seller 'Girl' played by Markéta Irglová. Influenced by his music, she approaches him and they become friends while discovering their music abilities. They recruit a trio of musicians from the street and record an album in a studio even though both are struggling financially. Let me tell you, each and every song in this movie is situational and has power to make you cry and have goose-bumps as well. The film shows their beautiful relation while they meet, sing and share their life experiences.
There are various scenes which are lovely, but noticeably when they both goes for a small motorbike hike on shore hill and she reveals that she is married, though she's not in touch with her husband who is back in the Czech. Guy had already confessed her about his girlfriend who's left to London and she's the inspiration for his music. But you get so involve in these two lovely people, that in this scene when Guy asks if she still loves her husband, she answers in Czech, "Miluju tebe" which actually means "It is you I love!", you wish they should hug, kiss and go back happily ever after. But she smiles and declines to translate what she said. There is not a single kissing or intimate moment in whole movie, but still has such impact, which shows its greatness. Hat's off for that! Neither of the two leads is a trained or experienced actor; Hansard and Irglová are both professional musicians. He's 37 and she's 19 when 'Once' movie was made and their chemistry is so believable. They did become a couple in real lives though we wish they'd have become one in the movie as well. Cinematography and editing is excellent as well. Irglová's mesmerizing track 'If you want me' has been shot in one single take.
So overall, you can fall in love with this movie more than 'once'. It makes you laugh, cry, sing, dance and let you flow away with pure love. It's an experience worth memorable!