| Category: | Movies |
| Genre: | Romance |
I needed a moment after I saw this movie, to render the story, the music, the cast and especially how it made me feel. This is the kind of story you like to fantasized on a lonely early Sunday morning, with your guitar on your lap, the hot coffee, and you just stare at spaces. You say to your self, how nice it will be to meet someone, anyone at all, that will somehow enter in your life and change its course. Well, waddaya know..., here comes the right movie for you. and me.
Setting in Belfast, Ireland, a heartbroken street musician, work for his DadÕs little Hover vacuum cleaner fixer shop by day and busking on the street every time he had the free time. But only at night he sang his own song. So, one night while he sang his song so intensely, a girl with a gentlemenÕs jacket over her dress come up to him and enquire about the girlfriend he is singing about. It ended with the guy telling her that he works as a Hover fixer and she said she would bring her broken vacuum cleaner to get fixed.
The next day, she showed up with her vacuum while he was busking on his usual place. He was surprised that she actually showed up with her vacuum cleaner. So, then their friendship began, she ended up playing piano with him, and then later helped him make his first demo tape.
They never spoke of their name, the characters are solid without having put a name on it. The guy is a native Irish guy ( Glen Hansard) heartbroken, works for his dad, and still live in the same tiny room he probably grew up in. He still lingers on the memories of his ex-girlfriend, not really knowing what to do next, and the only thing he hangs on to is his music.
The girl with the awkward dress, unlike the urban woman nowadays with trendy clothes and boots. SheÕs an immigrant coming from Chekoslavakia (Marketa I )with her daughter and mother. So, with that background, we could understand her nature of trying to give a push start for her new friend. Pointing out that he is a great singer/songwriter, helping him getting a deal for the recording studio, then help him get the loans from the bank, a support he needed.
As they spend time together, unfolding the stories of their life with having the outlet for their emotion with the music. I felt, how convenient this relationship is. There was a time early on their relationship where the guy being an Irish bloke asked her if she want to spend the night at his place, and she was offended. He thought that her attention came from her romantic interest towards him. But she was just trying to connect to someone, without any intention other than a platonic relationship.
He finally get up and try to do something of himself when he compares his life to hers. He had nothing to lose chasing his girlfriend in London and getting a record deal compared to her life, which was more complicated than his. She moved out leaving his husband, with her daughter and mother depended on her. She plays piano back in Czeko and regularly played piano on display in some music shop. She doesnÕt have time to linger on her misery like the guy does.
The morning after they completed their recording , they go their separate ways. He goes to London to pursue a record deal and trying to get back to his girlfriend. She stayed, and her husband came. At the end of the scene, the guy bought her a piano.
The music became the other important character in the movie. Critics says itÕs a musical, maybe so. I understand their emotion better when they perform the songs. It take the story to another level. The music was insightful, it was like the music was explaining the relationships. When the two characters are not performing their music, we were intrigue by their relationships, their own past, and how they live their story in a time frame. The music in Once is the letter of explanation or similar to having a narrator that narrates the movie.
It really was a humble story, that we all can relate to. When they first play together on the music shop, and played the Oscar winning ÔFalling SlowlyÓ was endearing... Ò Take this sinking boat and point it home
WeÕve still got time
raise your hopeful voice you have a choice
YouÕve made it now.
Falling slowly sing your melody
sing along
