Its strength is also its weakness

Rating: 7/10 (2 July 2008)

This low-budget film about a Dublin street musician who connects with a young Czech woman has much to recommend it. The guy and girl (they are never given names) share an appreciation for music; the guy is much more attuned to pop music whereas the girl has a broader appreciation. All things being equal she tends toward playing classical piano, but she bonds with the guy to the extent of working jointly with him on pop compositions and performances.
The two protagonists are of meager means, so I guess it is fitting that the filming is lacking in high-end production values. Indeed much of the film has the effect of home video footage. This is all well and good, but the poor lighting and hand-held camera work ultimately wore on me. There are some sparks of creativity, particularly in the scenes where the guy flashes back on memories of a previous girlfriend and in the very final scene, but overall the filming is pedestrian.
The tentative and delicate nature of the relationship that develops between the guy and girl is touching. The vagaries of human interactions are illustrated well and the ending seemed real to me.
I admired the sincerity and determination of the performers - their devotion to their craft came across strongly. Most of this movie consists of performances. And that was the most difficult obstacle to my truly bonding with this movie - I didn't like the music. It struck me as amateurish and something I would not seek out. If you like the music, then this movie will most likely have a stronger appeal to you than it did for me.