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Once
Fox Searchlight Pictures


8.0

based on 33 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

based on 193 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie

MUSIC:

MPAA RATING: R for language

Starring Alaistair Foley, Glen Hansard, Markéta Irglová, and Geoff Minogue

A modern day musical set on the streets of Dublin. Featuring Glen Hansard from the Irish band "The Frames," the film tells the story of a street musician and a Czech immigrant during an eventful week as they write, rehearse and record songs that reveal their unique love story. (Fox Searchlight)

GENRE(S):	Drama \| Foreign \| Musical
WRITTEN BY:	John Carney
DIRECTED BY:	John Carney
RELEASE DATE:	DVD: December 18, 2007 Theatrical: May 16, 2007
RUNNING TIME:	85 minutes, Color
ORIGIN:	Ireland

Audience Award (World Cinema - Dramatic), 2007 Sundance Film Festival

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman

Until Once, I'm not sure that I'd ever seen a small-scale, nonstylized, kitchen-sink drama in which the songs take on the majesty and devotion of a musical dream.

100

The Onion (A.V. Club) Nathan Rabin

In its own subdued, mellow way, Once is just about perfect.

100

Wall Street Journal Joe Morgenstern

Once proves to be as smart and funny as it is sweet; it swirls with ambiguity and conflict beneath a simple surface. In all of 88 minutes, Mr. Carney's singular fable follows its guy and girl through a week of musical and emotional growth that could suffice for a lifetime.

100

Los Angeles Times Kenneth Turan

The music is so rich and completely satisfying and the characters so appealing Once makes us believe that this is all happening right in front of our eyes. We fall for each of these young people at the precise moment they are falling for each other, and what could be better than that?

100

Chicago Tribune Michael Phillips

It's a very small piece, working in a deceptively casual storytelling style. But it's my favorite music film since "Stop Making Sense," and it's more emotionally satisfying than any of the Broadway-to-Hollywood adaptations made in the last 20 years.

100

Chicago Reader J.R. Jones

The songs don't advance the narrative lyrically so much as follow the two characters' uncertain relationship through the slow realization of their themes; in particular a scene in which they first jam together in the back room of a music store is a gem.

100

Boston Globe Ty Burr

Once is the first rock musical that actually makes sense. People don't burst into song in this movie because the orchestra's swelling out of nowhere. The guy and the girl are working musicians -- or they'd like to be, if they could make a living at it -- and they're played by working musicians.

100

Seattle Post-Intelligencer Bill White

A miracle of a movie that is both fairy tale and slice of life.

100

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

Once is the kind of film I've been pestered about ever since I started reviewing again. People couldn't quite describe it, but they said I had to see it. I had to. Well, I did. They were right.

Portland Oregonian Shawn Levy

Music aside, what finally puts Once over and makes it a film you can watch more than once is its slight but thoroughly credible realism.

Baltimore Sun Chris Kaltenbach

There's not a false moment within the film's 88-minute running time, nor many that could be done any better.

The New York Times A.O. Scott

Its low-key affect and decidedly human scale endow Once with an easy, lovable charm that a flashier production could never have achieved. The formula is simple: two people, a few instruments, 88 minutes and not a single false note.

Austin Chronicle Toddy Burton

Ultimately, Once transcends even its own ambitions, becoming a complex meditation on relationships, Irish culture, and music.

Rolling Stone Peter Travers

It's a magical, beguiling wonder.

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Rick Groen

Most movies have music, some movies are musicals, but very few movies combine the two with the grace and pure eloquence of Once.

TV Guide Ken Fox

Focusing strictly on stripped-down performances of great music and the charming chemistry between the two leads, it's a perfectly realized yet unassuming movie that deserves to find a big audience.

Premiere Ethan Alter

Once may not boast stellar production values or elaborate dance numbers, but in its own scruffy way it captures the spirit of the genre better than any recent Hollywood musical.

USA Today Claudia Puig

Once is a film for anyone who has ever been transported by the power and passion of music.

New York Post Kyle Smith

What "Rent" should have been, Once is: a Bohemian rhapsody.

Christian Science Monitor Peter Rainer

The film drags a bit and Irglova's inexperience as an actor sometimes leaves her costars in the lurch. But it's a sweet little film just the same.

LA Weekly Ella Taylor

Once feels handmade in the best sense, an impressionistic feast for the senses cobbled together from lovely grace notes and a warm palette of reds and yellows.

Salon.com Stephanie Zacharek

Although there's plenty of music, and plenty of joy, in Once, it's ultimately a quiet, wistful picture.

The Hollywood Reporter James Greenberg

The film has enormous charm and zero pretense.

Washington Post Ann Hornaday

Even the uninitiated will be hard-pressed to resist the movie's charms, from its likable leading players and its charming Dublin setting to its wistful take on modern love.

Village Voice Robert Wilonsky

Yet the magic of the movie is how utterly wrenching it renders these songs, which thrive alongside the film's simple, eloquent, dusky narrative.

Empire Dan Jolin

The year’s most pleasant cinematic surprise. Once has enough heart, wit, verve and sheer songwriting genius to ensure you’ll see it far more times than its title suggests.

Philadelphia Inquirer Carrie Rickey

This simple story of a Guy and a Girl and their music is very appealing.

Miami Herald Rene Rodriguez

I can't imagine anyone seeing Once and not instantly falling in love with it.

San Francisco Chronicle Ruthe Stein

This is a very little film with a very large heart.

ReelViews James Berardinelli

This isn't a perfect motion picture but, in the midst of summer's vapid pursuit of spectacle, a movie that provides real heart and emotion is a rare find.

New York Daily News Elizabeth Weitzman

Once isn't especially complex, but the chemistry between its appealing leads (who contribute to the lovely score) feels deeply true. You'd have to look awfully hard to find such sincerity in a Hollywood romance.

Film Threat Jeremy Mathews

A film of limited production values, a low-quality picture and the occasional flubbed camera move. But it makes up for these flaws with sharp observations, compelling characters and a great collection of music.

Variety Dennis Harvey

Winningly unpretentious tale uses a wispy romantic narrative as a vehicle for attractive original tunes.

The average user rating for this movie is 8.0 (out of 10) based on 193 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Bob A. gave it a10:
A Soul is a difficult thing to reach with a movie or a song, because it means that you have to have performers with authentic Soul. Hollywood has very few of these, and most of the great music is created by people in small attic rooms above their parent's flat. This movie, its music and performances are authentic, and that is why they are great. And rare.

Mike M. gave it a10:
An unpretentious Irish musical that captures your heart with its beautiful music, simplicity, deft timing and refusal to take you where you expect to go. With the feel of a documentary, it tells the story of a relationship between two skilled but struggling musicians whose love for each other blossoms through their music. In my humbl;e opinion, it belongs in the Top Ten motion pictures of the decade. The film and its beautiful music continues to haunt me months after viewing, an event that introduced me to a secret those who have not seen the movie have yet to share. Thank you, writer/director John Carney and the rest oif the cast and crew. Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova will forever be part of my psyche because of your collaboration!

Stevie G gave it a10:
An absolute triumph from beginning to end. Sublime music, an unconventional love story in the simple world of Dublin!!

Jamie S. gave it an8:
It gets a solid 8. Crazy eyed Hansard, and Doe eyed Irglová certainly held chemistry, but circumstance leads to sadness in a lonely window at the end. Yeah! for independent films, we are now starting to see quality coming from the small digital camera revolution. Very much liked the film, but was kicking myself for some mistakes that could have made it perfect. So I'm holding out for a sequel called "Once more" where another deeply moving song brings them back together to finally fall in love. As many know, they are dating in real life, so it makes for a multi-dimensional viewing and gossip experience :)

Nigel M. gave it a2:
Vastly overated. This is a pleasant enough film to begin with, but quickly turns into an elongated advert for some fairly dodgy and twee music. The story doesn't really go anywhere and there is so little dialogue between songs that I didn't care what happened to the characters anyway. It was a relief when it was all over.

Sarah M. gave it a0:
Sub David Gray codswollop of the highest order! Whilst I don't mind pretension in cinema, I find this film almost offensive in its desperate desire to be hip and cool. One word review, CRAP.

Jacob N. gave it a10:
Awesome movie! kickass soundtrack...couldnt stop listening to it good job glen!

Once Fox Searchlight Pictures

Once
Fox Searchlight Pictures