Suoratoistopalvelut (2)
Juonikuvaukset(1)
Runsas kolmekymppinen katusoittaja (Glen Hansard) laulaa ja soittaa kitaraa Grafton Streetillä Dublinin vilkkaalla ostosalueella. Hänen folk popia edustava musiikkinsa kertoo rakkaudesta, kaipuusta, menetyksestä ja sydänsurusta, joista hän itsekin kärsii tyttöystävän karattua Lontooseen. Päivätöikseen hän korjaa ja huoltaa imureita ja asuu edelleen isänsä kanssa pölynimurikaupan yläkerrassa.
Alunperin tsekkiläinen nuori maahanmuuttajaäiti (Markéta Irglová) kulkee samoissa kortteleissa myyden vastaantulijoille kukkia elättääkseen pienen lapsensa ja äitinsä. Nuoren naisen tulevaisuus on vailla suuria suunnitelmia eikä hän tiedä mitä ajatella Tsekinmaalla asuvasta aviomiehestään.
Musiikin lumoama tyttö lähestyy eräänä myöhäisiltana soittajaa ja alkaa peräänantamatta kysellä ärsyttävyyteen saakka tämän lauluista ja elämästä. Seuraavana päivänä tyttö ilmestyy paikalle raahaten rikkinäistä pölynimuria perässään ja pariskunta päätyy yhteiselle lounaalle. Myös tyttö osoittautuu muusikoksi ja lounas etenee musiikkiliikkeen pianon koskettimien ääreen, jossa heidän musiikillinen yhteytensä sinetöidään.
Vaikka dueton välillä on selkeä ihastuksen kipinä päättää Hansard kokeilla onneaan muusikkona Lontoossa, eikä vähiten siellä asuvan ex-tyttöystävän takia. Muuttoa ennen on kuitenkin työstettävä demo-tallenne, jonka tekemiseen pestataan sekalainen trio suoraan kadulta sekä tietenkin tsekki-kaunotar. Suuret odotukset ja epävarmuus ovat läsnä äänityssessioissa, jotka lopulta vakuuttavat ainakin studion kyllästyneen isännän. Pääpari (heille ei elokuvassa ole annettu nimiä) kertoo tunteistaan häilyvän lyriikan ja täydellisesti muotoiltujen melodioiden avulla, mutta ovatko aika ja paikka kuitenkin heitä vastaan. ONCE ei ole perinteinen rakkaustarina vaan kertomus sattumalta syntyneestä luovasta kumppanuudesta ja sielujen sympatiasta eikä siinä nähdä keskivertoisia romanttisen musikaalin kliseitä. Ohjaajan luoma kuvio on konstailematon; kaksi ihmistä, muutama instrumentti eikä yhtään riitasointua.
(Cinema Mondo)
Arvostelut (8)
I first watched Once in 2012 or so and turned it off after half an hour because I wasn't enjoying it. Today, almost five years later, I decided to give it a second chance, what the hell was wrong with me then that I didn't finish it? Rarely do I come across a film that is so endearing that it puts a smile on my face the whole time I'm watching it. I was already partially familiar with the soundtrack and I have to say that every song is a gem. The melodies are warm, they are a treat for the soul, with lyrics written by life itself. It's exactly the kind of music I like, so I can't wait to put it on for work tomorrow. Once confirms that there’s beauty in simplicity.
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The plot and some of the details are average, but the music! This love story of two people really impressed me.
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“I love you." Everything you have heard and read about Once is true. Both the negative and the positive things. The second-rate technical wrapping proved to be one of the movie’s greatest assets. Because it makes it easier to penetrate the melancholic atmosphere without having to waste time scraping off the gold paint. Not even the rather stiff Irglová, or occasional tired moments do anything to impair the authenticity of this movie. In fact AUTHENTIC is the word that best characterizes this little-big movie. Once requires the “input" from the viewer in terms of a certain benevolence, then rewarding this benevolence with the “output", mainly in terms of music than cinema...
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Glen Hansard is no brave hero in shining armor, Markéta Irglova is no princess, and Ireland is not a fairy tale world. But still, Once is such a magical story that at times I couldn't catch my breath. Magical, distant, and yet so naturally personal. The circumstances with Her family or the search for people to record His album may cause the pace to flag a bit, but I don't care about that now. Because of the line "miluju tebe" and I keep singing "Falling Slowly". The soundtrack brings me close to tears even on the hundredth listen. This film is immortal, it just doesn't know it – even a decade after it was made.
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The atmosphere of this film is very fragile and quite emotional. Despite the fact that the film has almost no story or plot and comes across as a bit of a documentary, it is enjoyable and interesting. Of course, the biggest credit for Once goes to the music, modesty, and love.
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I didn't expect anything from this film, and I didn't get anything from it either. Perhaps the only thing that surprised me, although I expected something like this, is how much the film is banal, small, and amateurish compared to the enthusiastic reviews. The satisfaction with Once is largely related to the ability to appreciate and accept the musical component on which the film is based. The screenplay is minimalist, the dialogues are trivial, and the acting performances are wooden in many cases. It's not the fact that the film uses non-actors; it's that these non-actors have minimal prerequisites for acting - and this applies, among other things, to Markéta Irglová in the main role. By coincidence, I had just seen Bicycle Thieves before Once, where the majority of roles were played by non-actors, including the protagonist, but the difference in quality was vast. The music in the film bypasses me with a wide arc, so only the film aspects remain, which is difficult for me to digest. The love story is clichéd, and simple, and even in its simplicity, it plays with kitsch. Just as it is possible to build a film's reputation on great cinematography and top-notch special effects, it is also possible to build it on independence, ordinariness, and "purity." Once is a film where it is essentially possible to use any evaluation based on the approach to the music used and the theme. My 25% overall impression is understandably one extreme and the opposite of enthusiastic uncritical comments and five-star accolades. The objective truth is usually somewhere in between; however, I cannot shake off the impression that Once is significantly overrated.
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Once is a sweet and simple story about a talented pair of artists brought together by their love of music. The film and its characters come across as likeable and simple, but that's not a bad thing at all. And the song "Falling Slowly" definitely deserved the Oscar. In short, a film that's perfect for enjoying a leisurely moment.
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When non-actors are cast, it's often apparent how unrealistically they behave in front of the camera. In the case of Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, this did not happen. They're quite natural. In contrast, it's noticeable how some couldn't handle being in front of the camera, and their naturalness disappeared. But in this case, it's also about the amateurism in front of the camera, which adds a lot to the overall impression. Even though it follows a script, it's beautiful that this story could have been written by itself, and you can easily believe it. And the music...
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