Once

Once is an Irish film with a musical comedy feel. Shot in the streets of Dublin with a more than reduced budget, the film was however awarded at the Oscars, and tells the daily life and the meeting of 2 Dubliners passionate about music. Quite unique of its kind, the film Once is above all a film full of modesty and emotion, which should seduce music lovers!

Once: an intimate and musical film

Synopsis

The story takes place on the streets of Dublin today. A melancholic young Dubliner, passionate about music, comes to perform many pieces armed with his guitar, to share his recent sentimental break-up with passers-by. The days follow one another and are similar until his unexpected meeting with a young Czech woman who has come to make her life in Dublin. The latter seems touched by what happens to her and offers her to play in a duo, the latter playing the piano.

Numerous performances follow, and the duo ends up forming a deep friendship.

Our opinion

A film with the allure of an intimate documentary

Once is a film of a rather atypical genre, oscillating between pseudo realistic documentary, fiction and musical comedy. A style that is sometimes disconcerting, but which quickly takes the viewer on board thanks to its musical atmosphere, the atmosphere of the streets of Dublin, and the touching performance of the actors.

It must be said that the film has the particularity of presenting the story in a very current Dublin, through its popular streets, music shops, pubs, and stores. A modern presentation of the city, which above all presents Dublin as a lively, dynamic and multi-cultural capital.

For the anecdote, Once was filmed in less than 15 days with a reduced budget: even the actors did not receive a fee for their performance. Also, the award received at the Oscars was unexpected, to say the least, and thus highlighted the musical talent of the duo formed by Glen Hansard (leader of the group The Frames), and Markéta Irglová, also a professional musician.