Some context: Once is a 2007 Irish romantic musical drama film written and directed by John Carney. The film stars Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova as two struggling musicians in Dublin, Ireland. Hansard and Irglova had previously performed music as the Swell Season, and composed and performed the film's original songs. Once spent years in development with the Irish Film Board and was made for a budget of EUR112,000.
Once was met with extremely positive reviews from critics. Upon its March 2007 release in Ireland, RTE's Caroline Hennessy gave the film 4 out of 5 stars and termed it "an unexpected treasure". About the acting, this Irish reviewer commented, "Once has wonderfully natural performances from the two leads. Although musicians first and actors second, they acquit themselves well in both areas. Irglova, a largely unknown quantity alongside the well-known and either loved or loathed Hansard, is luminous." Michael Dwyer of The Irish Times gave the film the same rating, calling it "irresistibly appealing" and noting that "Carney makes the point - without ever labouring it - that his protagonists are living in a changing city where the economic boom has passed them by. His keen eye for authentic locations is ... evident". In May, on Ebert & Roeper, both Richard Roeper and guest critic Michael Phillips of the Chicago Tribune gave enthusiastic reviews. Phillips called it, "the most charming thing I've seen all year", "the Brief Encounter for the 21st century", his favorite music film since 1984's Stop Making Sense and said, "It may well be the best music film of our generation". Roeper referred to the film's recording studio scene as "more inspirational and uplifting than almost any number of Dreamgirls or Chicago or any of those multi-zillion dollar musical showstopping films. In its own way, it will blow you away." Once won very high marks from U.S. critics; it is rated 97% "fresh" by the film review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes and scored a grade of 88 ("universal acclaim") according to Metacritic. In late 2007, Amy Simmons of Time Out London wrote, "Carney's highly charged, urban mise-en-scene with its blinking street lamps, vacant shops and dishevelled bed-sits provides ample poetic backdrop for the film's lengthy tracking shots, epitomised in a sequence where the Girl walks to the corner shop in pyjamas and slippers while listening to one of the Guy's songs on her personal stereo. With outstanding performances from Hansard and new-comer Irglova, Carney has created a sublime, visual album of unassuming and self-assured eloquence." The Telegraph's Sukhdev Sandhu said, "Not since Before Sunset has a romantic film managed to be as touching, funny or as hard to forget as Once. Like Before Sunset, it never outstays its welcome, climaxing on a note of rare charm and unexpectedness." The film appeared on many North American critics' top ten lists of the best films of 2007: In 2008, the film placed third on Entertainment Weekly's "25 Best Romantic Movies of the Past 25 Years".
including which critics?
A: RTE's Caroline Hennessy
Some context: RuPaul's Drag Race is an American reality competition television series produced by World of Wonder for Logo TV and, beginning with the ninth season, VH1. The show documents RuPaul in the search for "America's next drag superstar." RuPaul plays the role of host, mentor, and head judge for this series, as contestants are given different challenges each week. RuPaul's Drag Race employs a panel of judges, including RuPaul, Michelle Visage, Ross Mathews, Carson Kressley, and a host of other guest judges, who critique contestants' progress throughout the competition.
Beginning with the seventh season, Michelle Visage, Ross Mathews and Carson Kressley are the staple judges alongside RuPaul. Visage joined the show at the start of season 3, while Mathews and Kressley joined at the start of season 7, and each joins RuPaul and Visage on alternate episodes. Past fixtures on the panel include Merle Ginsberg, who was a regular judge in the first two seasons, and Santino Rice, who held his position from the first season until the conclusion of the sixth. Until season 8, Rice was the only person, apart from RuPaul, to take part in every season of the show, serving as a main judge for seasons one through six, and all stars 1, and guest judging for season seven. In certain instances, Rice was absent and replacement judging has been provided by make-up artist Billy Brasfield (better known as Billy B), Mike Ruiz, Jeffrey Moran (Absolut Vodka marketing executive), or Lucian Piane. However, due to Brasfield's numerous appearances in seasons three and four, including appearing in the Reunited episodes both seasons, Rice and Billy B are considered to have been alternates for the same seat at the judges table throughout the two seasons. Prior to the grande finale, the three main judges are joined by two celebrity guest judges each week. Guest judges have included Paula Abdul, Pamela Anderson, Eve, Ariana Grande, Neil Patrick Harris, Kathy Griffin, Debbie Harry, Khloe Kardashian, La Toya Jackson, Adam Lambert, Demi Lovato, Bob Mackie, Rose McGowan, Olivia Newton-John, Rebecca Romijn, Gigi Hadid, Sharon Osbourne, Dan Savage, John Waters, Michelle Williams, Candis Cayne, Martha Wash, Natalie Cole, Dita Von Teese, Niecy Nash, Debbie Reynolds, Vanessa Williams, Wilmer Valderrama, The Pointer Sisters, Trina, Leah Remini, The B-52's, Kesha and Lady Gaga. The judges each provide their opinion on the contestants' performances in the main challenge and on the runway before RuPaul announces which queen is the episode's winner and which two had the weakest performances. The day before judging, the contestants are all provided with a song to which they must learn the lyrics. The contestants deemed as being the bottom two must "lip sync for their lives" to the song in a final attempt to impress RuPaul. After the lip sync, RuPaul alone decides who stays and who leaves. RuPaul describes the qualities the contestants must have to be crowned the winner of the show as "Charisma, Uniqueness, Nerve, and Talent... These are people who have taken adversity and turned it into something that is beautiful and something powerful." The phrase "charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent" is used repeatedly on the show, the acronym of which is CUNT. On the first All Stars season, "synergy" was added to provide an explanation behind the contestants being sorted into teams (expanding the acronym into CUNTS).
Who are the Judges
A:
season, Michelle Visage, Ross Mathews and Carson Kressley