I can't get the movie or the music out of my head weeks after seeing it. It is simply the best movie musical of all time.

Brilliance.

The language was unnecessarily crude for such a sweet story. The music was not that great, but the acting and the story made it worth NOT walking out - which was our initial reaction in the first five minutes. We stayed and our score went from an initial 1- up to a 5.

"Actually, Jen L., it was 88 minutes. What film did you see or do you like to give negative ratings when everyone else is positive?"--Ah, it must have felt like two hours, because, as others have said, the songs make the film drag on. I saw the same film, and everyone is not positive. Just look around. Other people have pointed out the same flaws in this little vanity project.

"Once" is unique because it uses real popular music; the genuine article, like Gillian Armstrong's "Starstruck"(this 1982 musical from Australia employed new-wave songs), or more recently, Lars Von Trier's "Dancer in the Dark"(featuring the pop stylings of Icelandic siren Bjork); not some Broadway notion of rock such as "Rent", or "Jesus Christ Superstar". "Once" is truly, a trailblazing film, an alternative to the traditional musical; no camp, no bigger than life characters are allowed. The music is humble. The people are actual size. You actually feel cool watching it. The songs have a intimate quality to them because they were meant to be played in a coffehouse or bar, not in a concert hall. "Falling Slowly" kills me, absolutely kills me. If you're still in the recovering process of unrequited love, it'll kill you, too. Rolling Stone's Rob Sheffield wrote an amazing memoir about his late music critic wife called "Love is a Mix Tape" last year about the role music plays in our personal lives. An appropriate title for "Once" would be "Love is a Demo Tape". Every time the guy(Glen Hansard) listens to that demo, he'll be reunited with the girl(Marketa Irglova). It's a relationship in the abstract. They made beautiful music together. "Once" is the first and last word on romantic disappointment; how you have to take it on the chin and carry on. It was, by far, the best film of 2006. God only knows it's better than "ATONEMENT"!!!!!!!!!… Expand

Pete W is the most hyped and overated commenter of 2008. I have to disagree with everything that he wrote, the songs are not anything like Coldplay, the characters are not seedy, and I don't think the movie producers were acting all shrewd as your preposterous ideas suggest. The movie Once wasnt concocted in some board room to try to appeal to any one demographic. Its just a nice simple movie, and I would be interested in the kind of drivell that you give a higher rating to. I think the songs were amazing, I went and got the soundtrack straight after, I think they fitted in and moulded themselves into the storyline much better than most musicals, where the characters just randomly sing for no reason. I loved the storyline, and the way it wasn't the typical ending. I thought the acting was understated and terrific, not like some scene chewing actors these days. I liked the movies simplicity, but not just because it is not a big hollywood movie.… Expand

Great movie i enjoyed it very much. The music was great and everyone needs to stop saying it sounds like coldplay because it definately does not. It sounds alot like the Frames for some reason i dont know why.... ahh i know maybe because hes the lead singer of the band. You people need to do some research before you catagorize him with the successful but mediocre coldplay. The movie is great and so are the Frames.… Expand

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!… Expand

this movie speaks to the soul. it's uplifting and heartbreaking at the same time, painfully real. the sort of honest, engaging, intelligent romance that hollywood couldn't make in a month of sundays. the music is fabulous

Totally captivating.......highly recommended.

This was a great movie, a very romantic, but unforced story line and compelling actors, especially the girl. It bothers me that people are choosing to give this movie a 0 simply to "counteract" the 10's people chose to gave it. If you think its worth a 4, then fine, but I don't think this movie warrants a zero.

with all the forgettable rubbish hollywood spends hundreds of millions dollars on and shoves in our faces its comforting to find a movie made in our own city that many of us could afford to make and remember fondly for many years

Little but deep, rough but sweet, quiet but moving, silent but full of music. That's ONCE, an almost perfect film for our times. Don't miss it, please.

This movie was like a MTV "behind the music show" it was slooooooow, not fun to watch, and dialog hard to understand for U.S. english speakers.

When I went to see "Once," I thought it was going to be an small, romantic musical movie, as it had been described from various sources. For the first twenty minutes of the film, it seemed like this could've gone somewhere. But, it didn't. This would've worked mush better as a twenty minute short film, than a whole feature-length film. The only good part about it was the song "Falling Slowly." So, yeah.… Expand

so cooool

At the end of the day, if you are a fan of Glen Hansard and his music, you will like this film. If, like me, you think his music (especially that solo album) is a lifeless poncy strut down the overly maligned singer songwriter route (maligned here in ireland mainly BECAUSE of glen and his many troops of similarly tortured songs-from-a-room shitehawks who invaded the country a few years back) you will not like this film very much. The performances are grand, especially Glen, who has more experience in this area then Irglova. It has the occasional bit of humour and pathos that rings true and it’s certainly not the worst film by any means. But seriously lads (i refer to all those critics who are calling it the film of the year) get a grip! dont be fooled by the manufactured deepness of the music just because its packaged as rustic and offbeat. That’s just what glen wants you to think…him with his battered guitar and his praise for astral weeks…rubbing his hands together manicly…next stop, world domination MWAH HAUH HAUH.… Expand

Best movie of the year! Don't miss it.

I honestly don't get it. The movie had its cute moments but overall I was bored to tears. I don't see how this movie was a great romantic wonder. I'm sorry it just didn't register with me at all.

waaaaaaaaay over-hyped!! not fun like a real musical nor meaningful like 'dancer in the dark'. atch at your own risk. sappiest indie movie ever.

Actually Blake W., it might just be on several critics best of the year because in their opinion, it is. Maybe you don't feel that way, but I'm sure may others will disagree with you. Your opinion is not the final say believe it or not.

A subtle musical love story that scores big in my mind and heart. I highly recommend it.

Wow.... Really, the best movie of 07. It strikes you in all the right places. Very beautiful.

I heard so many good things about this movie's music and was completely let down. I swear to god, i am not exaggerating, i had to cover my ears during that scene in the back of the music shop. She was "harmonizing" with him while he sang- really just singing like a 6th below him the entire time. a lacking storyline for yet another stupid artsy film.

My favorite movie of the year. Just a wonderful flick. A friend recommended it to me and I couldn't thank him enough for telling me to go see it. The actors are the real musicians, and they are fantastic. Getting to watch the live performances within the context of the film is awesome. And the story is perfect. Overall, just a wonderful film. I can't recommend it enough.

This is a very good film. It is honest, touching, and vulnerable in a way that is very affecting. The minimalist treatment of this film may not be for all; there are no carcrashes, no sex, no special effects. My two complaints are that it feels a little too short and the tale doesn't quite wrap up. Still emotionally satisfying, but not fully. It's hard to achieve a satisfying ending without being cheesy, but I would have liked a better attempt... what we have is 90% there for me. The music stays with you and is really what puts this movie over the top. Will it be an enduring classic? Only time will tell, but it is still leaps and bounds above 99% of the crap filling cineplexes today.… Expand

Could not finish the movie - yawn - like the same song played the entire movie.

Sweet movie but overrated. Overall I enjoyed it. Glad I saw it.

Possibly the most-hyped movie of 2007, Once is a lot like its characters: seedy and unprepossessing on the surface, but wildly in love with its own self-proclaimed whimsical creativity just beneath. Ultimately just another story about a boy with a guitar and the girl who inspires him (the ballyhooed "modern musical" angle doesn't hold up to scrutiny; musicals use music to tell a story, but the plot of Once grinds to a halt every time the characters feel like cranking out another falsetto-y power ballad about lost loves, which is often), the only truly original thing about Once is that it completely excises the obligatory love story from the formula, replacing it with a sort of friendship-of-desperation between two very lonely people who only seem to be together at all because they both happen to be musicians. They chat about random trivia, record some songs, lean on each others' shoulders a bit, and that's the whole substance of their "captivating, elegant, uplifting, engaging, magical" relationship (the girl, especially, is clearly holding the guy at arm's length for most of the movie, even though it was she who creepily approached him in the first place). They are NOT in love, though hardly anyone who saw the movie seems to realize this, and it's clear from early on that they probably never will be what with all the complications in their lives. As for the music, one reviewer summed it up with a single word ("Coldplay") and there's nothing I can add to that. As one last thought, take a look through the comments and pay attention to how many of the people praising Once don't seem to actually like the movie itself so much as the fact that it's not a major Hollywood film. I give it credit for shrewdness in that regard: there's definitely a demographic who like having their scruffy-indie-underdog-outsider egos stroked and Once plays them like a Stradivarius. Doesn't make it a good movie, though.… Expand

Had no idea what I was getting into, but was dazzled, touched, and grateful for the experience.

The writers strike in Hollywood doesn't matter when you have gems like this being made elsewhere. The story was so real because it was kept simple.

Similar to the disappointment of waking up on Christmas morning, not to the bright red bmx you had been promised, but instead, 6 pairs of striped socks- this movie is banal, self-reverential, sentimental tripe. I have lost two hours of my life and I will be contacting Glen Hansard to arrange getting them back.

I think this is a good film.

Surely I must have been on another planet and it all just went over my head. People were dazzled and touched by this movie?? I was frazzled and bamboozled. I banged my head against the wall to make sure I wasn't comatose.

My wife and I both felt this movie was way over-rated from the critics. Different tastes I guess. We could only watch half of it. Very boring. I guess one has to really enjoy music and singing (over and over and over) to like this movie.

This movie was not only boring, stupidly self-indulgent and poorly acted - it is also bad for your health. While watching it, a little vomit came up. This mostly happened during the moments when the sappy bastard with the guitar sang his pathetic songs about unrequited love. No wonder his woman left him, he's a seriously big loser living in his father's attic and pathetically (and to no avail) trying to get laid by a single mom. Watching snow on TV is definitely more entertaining than this lame shit! And no, it's not because it doesn't have a big budget. you don't need a big budget to make a good film. Tape, Dancer in the Dark, Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, Waydowntown and Last Night are all low-budget masterpieces.… Expand

I found Once to be a completely boring and pretentious excuse for a movie. The chemistry between the two main characters is so terrible, it was actually difficult to watch. I didn't believe it for a second of it. The main character was a pathetic, sap who I felt no empathy for - his self-pity and constant pining for an unrequited love makes him utterly unlikeable. As for the writing, it is so boring and uninteresting, I found myself losing interest about 10 minutes in. This script is the movie's biggest flaw. I found it so unromantic - it made me bitter! That said, low budget movies can be brilliant - films like 2 Days in Paris, Tape, Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, Last Night and Waydowntown can attest to that.… Expand

Full of heart and warmth, Once takes you in from the first scene and doesn't let you go until after the credits roll. The music was divine, what a wonderful way to tell a story.

The movie had one or two good songs, but that was it and they continued to play them over and over. There wasn't much to the movie. It was boring and was disappointing after hearing so much positive regarding it.

I, too, was engrossed in this film. Man, talk about doing the right thing in the end.

Once was a masterpiece, compelling and so real. The soundtrack on its own may not be amazing, but after seeing the movie the songs come absolutely alive. I fully agree with the critics' reviews. I'd see it again, and recommend it to most anyone.

This movie is outstandingly brilliant, it's like a modern musical without those pompous singers singing solemn songs. With a credible story and down-to-earth characters, who are reflected in their moving songs, this film is actually able to make you cry and, after having watched the whole movie, overwhelm you with joy. But there's also enough evidence that 'once' even works in its moment without the music. The scene, where the 3 male cohabitants appear in the female protagonists apartment to watch TV is at the same time comical and striking and better than many of Hollywood's so-called milieu-surveys.… Expand

Greatest soundtrack I have ever heard. Cinematography keeps the scenes personal and real. Best movie I have seen in a long time.

There's a great line in Julius Ceasar. Ceasar and Marc Anthony are observing Cassius, and Caesar says that Cassius "hears no music." The people who rated this movie below a 5 obviously fall in the same category as malcontent conspirators yearning for blood lust. This movie is miraculous!

I haven't felt so much emotion for a movie since Dancer in the Dark. Of course, for that it was heartbreaking, this was uplifting. It was beautiful, and I believed the characters, the natural wonder in their connection, and the sweet, unassuming nature of everything. You bet they played the songs time and time and time again - and I listened to them time and time and time again. Watch it for yourself, then judge - I loved it, you might not. And if you don't, it doesn't make you a bad person, but maybe not one that I'd be that akin to. Loved by me, loved by my wife. Huge fan of The Frames now.… Expand

This movie was enchanting, and captures the truth and beauty of making music, writing songs, and falling in love. Sometimes all three are connected, as one can see from how the main character writes lovely songs about his broken relationship. The scene in the music shop captures that feeling perfectly; it's a gem of a scene, showing, not telling, how music can help cement a bond of love & understanding between two people. It was completely natural, filled with warmth and ambiguity, like real life.… Expand

Talk about doing the right thing in the end? Going back to a woman who cheated on you and who sounds like she wants to throw up while talking on the phone with you? And going back to an out of shape unattractive guy you don't even care about just because he's from the Czech Republic unlike the younger, more attractive man you've recently fallen in love with? Give me a break. Good music but the worst ending since The Godfather Part 3.… Expand

It was mildly entertaining and definitely had some songs that stuck in my head. However, the dialogue and story line lacked cohesiveness and fluidity, among other things. The ending definitely helped the movie, IMO, but otherwise, I wasn't entirely impressed.

A lovely film with excellent music.

Honest, poignant, and simple, Once is a gem of film and of the type that Hollywood is simply incapable of making.

A slow moving film that seduces the viewer by its sensual, passionate and non-sexual build-up into a magnificent conclusion about friends and art. More musically based than acting based.

I think it is the perhaps the greatest challenge to make a movie so simple, naked and unpresupposing work -- and this one miraculously manages to work almost every level. I don't hate this kind of music as some do (see below!), but I'm not a great fan either. Still watching these people connect through the music and find some solace (for a time) in each other's company is engrossing. The lack of an overt sexual component actually adds to the tension, and focuses your attention on every detail of their behavior for clues. Each of the songs, whether good or less good, actually move our understanding of these characters and their situation along in subtle ways while playing on our own desires for them. Funny thing, it was only at the end, feeling utterly sad and elated at the same time, that I sat back and realized I had watched a musical!… Expand

A truly wonderful little film, all the more amazing because of its very limited budget and the fact that nearly all the scenes are focused on the craft of song writing and performing original music. It is a cynical heart indeed that will not be moved by this story of two people whose lives momentarily intersect in Dublin, producing some of the best music you will ever have the privilege of hearing on screen. The ending is bittersweet, a bit unexpected, yet totally believable. The song "Falling Slowly" -- which just won an Oscar for Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova (whose performances are a revelation) -- is inspirational and beautiful. This movie is for anyone who has ever found a friend, fallen in love and then been called by their larger dreams. Very highly recommended; and perhaps the best "date movie" I have ever seen.… Expand

A great, small film with unexpectedly strong performances from non-actors. So much great music (with maybe a bit too much repetition...), great pacing and real people acting, and talking, like real people. That's a nice change of pace.

Fantastic, real, heartbreaking. One of the most perfect small movies I've ever seen. Puts Hollywood to shame.

Once is a totally captivating minimalist cinematic indulgence with grandiose emotive conveyance. AMAZING score - the best I've heard in years. Actors-cum-musicians did a fantastic job in making us love the characters they portrayed.

Tremendous. Simple honest acting but incredible music. Why can't hollywood make music films like this? Because this film was made around incredible songwriters who just happen to be able to act as well. The music wasn't written by some cheesy stage musical nob but by someone who lives and breathes songwriting and who also perfomed it in an honest and believable fashion, like all music should be performed. A work of passion, talent and belief....what else do you need?… Expand

Awesome movie! kickass soundtrack...couldnt stop listening to it good job glen!

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.

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.

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 :)… Expand

An absolute triumph from beginning to end. Sublime music, an unconventional love story in the simple world of Dublin!!

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.

Beautiful movie. beautiful soundtrack. sad ending in a way but it reveals that sometimes thats just the way life is. they did love each other though and that is revealed in the scene when they are standing on the hillside and he says "do you love your husband?". She replies in czech, "No, I love you." Really great movie.

I bought this on a whim at a DVD store because I remembered it winning an Oscar for best song. I finally got around to watching it a month later. I didn't have very high expectations, I've seen a lot of low budget indies films. Nevertheless this movie blew me away. I sat through it thinking that it can't really be this good, and it kept getting better. The music is incredible and passionate. It is the only movie I've ever watched and then immediately started it over and watched it a second time...I loved it that much.… Expand

Boring and incredibly predictable. A waste of time and money.

The only thing of interest in this move is the beautiful music. But let's not judge a movie based on the soundtrack. The story is paper thin, and the weakest link is Irglova, who adds very little and is unconvincing as an actress. All she does in the first fifteen minutes is ask a stranger multiple times about his old girlfriend. The fact that they play out entire songs that don';t drive the plot is another mistake. One-dimensional characters and lack of story kill this film. I saw Hansard & Irglova in concert and unlike the movie, didn't walk away wanting my money back.… Expand

Loveable motion picture, really cativating. The music is great and the actors are great. It's simple, but that's a lesson many directors could learn. Waiting for a special edition.

Great small time movie.

Outstanding film with a beautiful soundtrack.

This is an everyday story with beautiful music.

The magic of this film definitely lies in the power of the music but with an added bonus: the low-budget simplicity of how it is all executed before your eyes...absolute beauty.

A sweet, moving story. I'm glad I saw it. But for an even better cinema-verite musical set in Dublin, watch "The Commitments." I've seen that movie at least 20 times and would gladly watch it again.

This just shows how a film that is panned in its native ireland can get such great reviews in the u.s, its one of the worst most cliched embarrassingly bad movies i've ever seen what americans see as magical most irish and british people think is utter toss

A sonic and emotional feast--the rare kind that satisfies the hunger and satiates the desire for a bittersweet treat. The combination of psuedo-doc and musical diversion echoes the emotional range of Dancer in the Dark minus the choreography and tragedy. If you need inspiration, a good cry or if you simply love music, look no further.

Shot for $150,000, this film should be an inspiration to independent filmmakers everywhere -- that personal films, about people, can be made on a low budget without car crashes and big stars. It's fantastic.

Just pure beauty.

Wonderful, irresistible movie with engaging, attractive leads that you root for. Someone described it as a "musical for the art house crowd", and this is probably a fair assessment, since it's light years away from big hollywood musicals. Here, the songs seem like a natural part of the story and describe better than any dialogue, what the characters are feeling. And it's refreshing to see a movie where none of the main characters have cell phones! Touching and moving without being sentimental or syrupy. I saw this in the Talk Cinema series where the movie is discussed after the viewing. There is one scene where the [***SPOILER***] boy has found out that the girl is married and asks her if she loves her husband. She reponds in Czech and doesn't translate. What she said, according to a member of the audience who speaks Czech, was "No, I love you." See this, you won't regret it.… Expand

The only reason to see this is for the music. Frankly, I've seen better stories in concert films. I went expecting to see a Musical, meaning something where the music is used to tell the story, but that's not really what's going on here. In this movie, the characters are composers and performers and the music is what they do, all out of proportion to telling a story. This is more like watching a CD with brief narrative interludes.… Expand

Most satisfying movie in a while. Great music with great cast. Could not have been made by Hollywood.

Quite possibly the best Movie about music in at least a decade. This film is so refreshing in it's handling of the musical genre, This film is so anti-Hollywood, all I could do was stand up and cheer on it's splendid, beautifully sad, artistic statement.

Fantastic film. It captures the magic and of performing music with people. Do not miss!

This little Irish item is the best Irish film since the commitments and maybe better. A terrific chick Flick, in the best sense of the phrase. The chemistry and music are 'spot on;!

I'm completely baffled by the fellow reviews on this site. You must consider this movie a musical if you want to take its reviews seriously, because the plot moves at such a snail's pace that it's hard to become engaged at all with this movie. Not until the halfway point do the two lead's finally start to gel a bit (along with the first plot revelation). We are supposed to find the Czech immigrant's willingness to drag a vaccum cleaner around Dublin as well as her poor fashion sense as cute and endearing, but it felt forced by Carney in my opinion, like a poor man's Sam from Garden State. I feel that musicians will feel much more positively about this movie than I did, and that it must deliver something to them that it didn't bring to me. If that's the case, then may they enjoy it, because personally I haven't felt this lost at a movie since "My Summer of Love," another highly praised movie that I walked away from wondering what I missed.… Expand

Amazing cinema. Music & actors fantastic & fresh. I cried 5 times!

The plot of the 120 minute film goes absolutely nowhere and amounts to nothing, much like the typical singer/songwriter songs that fill out the running time. Worse still, all the people falling over these simple songs like he's the next Bob Dylan makes this seem like nothing more than a vanity project. The movie is also filmed in a very jerky manner that made many of the older people in the audience sick. Avoid at all costs.… Expand

All of my instincts tell me not to hype this movie because it's the kind of small film that may crumble under the weight of someone's high expectations, but as its characters might say in a charming Irish brogue or beautiful Czech sneer, f.ck all that. Every review I've read has contained some variation of the phrase "This is the musical for people who hate musicals" but more accurately, I'll say this is the musical for people who generally hate musicals because they so desperately want to love musicals. (In case you don't know, that's me.) It's 'gritty' and 'realistic' but also an amazing fairy tale. It's 88 minutes that capture more truth and pain about love and the creative process than any movie I've maybe ever seen, yet it's a fantasy anyone with a soul hopes might happen to them. To say much more would cheapen it. See this movie.… Expand

It's rare when my wife and I agree on a movie. We went to see this on a whim, knowing nothing about it. Both agreed, best movie we've seen this year. After wasting my time seeing Spiderman 3 and Pirates 3 over the last few weekends, it was great to see a simple story well-told with great performances and so much heart.

Beautiful, heartfelt movie. I think the music was among the best the singer/songwriter genre produces (backhanded complement), and certainly better than I've come to expect from a musical or a guy on a guitar. I like the main characters, the feel, and the evolution of their relationship.d

Touching and inspiring, luscious music!

A very NICE movie, with some very NICE songs.

Best movie of the year. I can't get it out of my head. Fabulous and simple story. Great cast. Wonderful music. Extremely powerful.

A simple story told very well of a boy meeting a girl and their making music together at a recording studio. The music was very enjoyable and the story was heartfelt.

Wonderful story, wonderful music. A refreshingly simple story with palpable chemistry between the 2 leads, even if the story doesn't go where you might expect.

Skip the third installment of the summer blockbusters and go see "Once." This movie will invade your head & your heart in the best ways. Beautiful, sweet film, full of surprises ~ best movie of the year so far.

Brilliant. I didn't see the ending coming and it blew me away. The best movie I've seen so far this year. See it on the big screen, before it's too late.

An amazing movie. The ultimate anti-Hollywood experience at its best.

Very good small budget independent film. The songs went on a bit too long but still a good film. Very nice to see a female character with brains and talent.