Singular

Rating: 9/10 (1 July 2007)

A lot of songwriters don't like to talk about their music. They prefer to play it. This movie understands and depicts that. Sometimes the camera work is a bit shaky (handheld) I guess to suggest a documentary quality.
The script understands that characters and the cast definitely does. The characters speak best through their music. The Guy could write and sing lyrics that make you feel as if the fate of the whole world weighed in the balance of how well he sang on each and every song, but sometimes can only say a simple, plain "Cool" in conversation. Then their are parts that musicians will get a laugh out of that others will miss entirely. I'm thinking of a particular "uh, I can see that" said by The Girl about the key of a particular song. Also, I liked how intently the characters watch each other when one performs a song for them for the first time. Sure, they hear the music but they also are interested in how it is played.
The supporting characters do their job with dexterity. The movie tells a story very well and believably.
Note: That acoustic guitar that The Guy plays is his in real-life. It's not some prop to show he's poor. The guitar is so beat up, but also tells you how indispensable it is to the musician. In a beat up guitar competition, Willie Nelson's guitar may have a challenger.