Once (John Carney, 2006)

WHAT IT IS: An aspiring English songwriter meets a young singer who sparks his desire and ambition.

HOW IT IS: There has been a lot of press on how cheap this movie was to make and how much profit and praise it has garnered. It’s true that aesthetically, this movie looks amateurish, with no photography crafting, camera skill or direction. The music, especially its lyrics, wants to be edgy and personal yet fails to deliver. The interesting concept, a music performance-based movie, could have eventually compensated for the film’s technical shortcomings if it had been executed with much more vision. As an example, Terence Davies’ Distant Voices, Still Lives succeeds in combining music and film in a singularly poetic union. In comparison, Once meanders away from interest and falls short of any lasting relevance.

IF YOU LIKE: Duets, A Star is Born.

More info on IMDB

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Eric Lafalaise

Head Honcho at Red Brand Studios

Eric Lafalaise mostly communicates by writing and telling stories. He is a contributing writer to the Kinoreal film blog, a producer for Red Brand Studios, an artist, a photographer, a tech freak, and an all-around (left-right) brain nut.

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Latest posts by Eric Lafalaise (see all)

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