movie minute

With Music Once More: In director John Carney's new musical interlude of a film, Once, guy meets girl, girl likes music guy makes and girl and guy make music together. What happens after that is the capper to a sentimental, bittersweet and feel good movie.

The guy in question is played by Glen Hansard, the lead singer of the Irish group Frames. Director Carney also used to play in the Frames. The girl is Marketa Irglova, a Czech-Republic musician who actually met Hansard when he visited the Czech Republic. The two leads are actually billed as guy and girl.

As the film starts, Hansard's character is busking (street performing) for money while playing his guitar. On the side he works at a Hoover repair shop with his father. When he meets Irglova's character, she expresses an interest in his music and come to find out she has a Hoover which needs to be fixed.

As the two develop their relationship we are treated to songs which both characters sing to express their feelings and thoughts. The film's soundtrack is one of the absolute best you'll hear this year. A few of the songs have already been recorded by the Frames and been included on their albums. As guy and girl rev up to record the songs the two reveal past loves which threaten to come between their future.

The acting has an improvisational feel; in fact some of the film was improvised and it's also set on the streets of Dublin. This movie has more feeling and passion than 97% of Hollywood movies and Once is a treat of a film to ring in the dog days of summer.

Bags of popcorn (out of 5): 4.5

paul