I might get to see this soon (Thursday or maybe later if the theater keeps it after this week). I'm excited!

I'm downloading it at the moment

Usually I don't break my "no downloading" stance till late December, but Once is too much pressure for me. Must see it now.

28 posts, or one out of every three of the posts in this thread are by loyal.

I hope he's getting a cut for pimping this so hard...

"Trying To Pull Myself Away" is the greatest song I have heard this year outside of Pat Monahan's new stuff. I forgot just how good this movie was.

Omfg

So far, promising...

It was so good that I feel just a little bad about some of the A+s and As I've given out this year, they feel like they were playing in a minor league when compared to this.

Once is the most simple story in the world. Boy meets girl, boy likes girl, boy loses girl... it's been done a million times. But what's so remarkable is that in a medium where hundreds of movies get pumped out every year, somehow, someway, this manages to seem like one of the most fresh and original movie in years, period.

It's the perfect not quite love story - Loyal touched on this, but Once is the most appropriate title possible. It's represents that few days moments in the middle of a mess tangled life that you meet someone in some place, and then after those few days they're gone and you're only left to remember. Remember what could've and should've been in a case like this. Finally at it's heart, Once is simply two people connecting, meeting out of all the billions on a random street, and finding something in common.

Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova deserve all the credit in the world here and more. They're not only good, they're pitch perfect. I was not expecting them to be this extraordinary, knocked my socks off. Little twitches of the face, expressions when listening to each other talk and sing, quiet moments, the look of nervous anticipation and other emotions, all of it dead on. More than that, this movie completley depends on you liking and loving them, and god do you ever. They might just be one of the most likeable couplets I've ever seen in a film, I just loved both of them so much.

The screenplay is absolutely perfect and if the film only gets that nod at the awards this year, it'll be deserved. The way the details of the story are little by little revealed, the way they let each other in, and just the conversations, it's awesome.

The songs are amazing and fit the movie perfectly, of course. Even in the longer musical sequences there is no boredom or waiting for the rest of the story to pick up, you just enjoy yourself. I hope it gets some Best Song consideration this year for sure.

Cinematography is another thing I never expected to be so top notch coming in. The way Dublin looks, the apartments, the facial shots of the characters, perfectly crafted. In particular the scene where she walks down the street in those headphones, that was riveting... One of the best scenes of any movie recently.

I also loved the ending. You don't have to know how we got the money for the piano, he just did. Both characters have smiles on their faces, happy with the last couple days, and yet, you feel like there should be more. And the last shot is beautiful.

It's probably one of the decade's best offerings so far, and maybe the best film since 04 when Eternal Sunshine/Garden State came out.

A+

The unanimous amounts of overwhelming love for this movie is quite impressive.

I can't think of anything that deserves it more, though. Shack is right when he says it's so good it makes you put whatever else you've seen recently in context. This is transcendent cinema that will eventually be a part of the essential film canon, and we are lucky to have witnessed the birth of a classic firsthand.

I'm working on that soundtrack

I'm glad and even a bit surprised I loved this so much. I was afraid of CoM II, with loyal and Jon going orgasmic over it, watching it via download, having pretty high expectations, etc. CoM disappointing was like a slap in the face. I was wrong though.

I guess I should see this now....

man, i dunno

Like, Amelie and (to some extent) The 400 Blows? Or do you just mean in a 'good taste' way? Or like do you really find something in common between once and those other films?

It's actually playing at the discount theatre by my house. I'll see if I can find time to see it....

I'm like five minutes into my first viewing since theaters and I'm already loving it more than the first time. It even seems to /look/ better. :O

Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant. I was for sure going in that I would be disappointed. Everyone had hyped it up so much, reviews are impecable, and it just looked so damn good. Boy was I wrong to doubt it. This is the kind of movie every movie should strive to be. First off, I want to say how amazing Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova were, especially Irglova. I felt for her every time she was on the screen...her last scene looking out the window was so touching. Her breaking down at the piano was heartbreaking. Her promising to pay her daughter back and getting batteries late at night was great. I absolutely fell in love with her. Hansard was great as well, but he could not hold up to her. The music was brilliant, which should almost go without saying. I am definitely getting the soundtrack soon. My only qualm, and it's a small one, is that I had trouble understanding some of what they were saying. However it wasn't anything that putting subtitles on couldn't fix. This is my new #1 of 2007 and it's a strong #1.

A+

I have to agree with bradley here. Many times during the movie I felt annoyed and unconvinced, something that happened to me in other movies like Before Sunrise (B-/C+), Garden State (B), and Almost Famous (C). It just doesn't connect with me despite my wanting it to.

The songs are great though, especially if taken out of the context of the movie, so I would recommend the soundtrack. And at least the movie's better than The Commitments (D-).

Another possible redeeming quality is that the filmmakers may come up with a great sequel in the future that I might be passionate about (like Before Sunset (A+)). But I still give this movie a C.

I was actually surprised at how much I loved it. I think it's because it's not a gushy, corny, over-romanticized love story; it's very low-key and subtle and thus feels more genuine. There's no big Hollywood productions - everything is more natural. This extends to the songs, also - they're not too synthetic or over-produced, and thus fit the realistic setting very well. And they're also terrific. They advance the narrative, express the character's thoughts, evoke emotions from the audience, and sound fantastic to boot. And that's all I really want from a musical/romance: something natural, something believable, with some great music. And I got it.

Once is a film that has moved me like no other film has all year. True, it's a simple story; boy meets girl, boy likes girl, boy looses girl. All of the power comes from how much the viewer can relate to it, and how wonderful the music is. The performances on display are great as well, Glen Hansard is very good in his role and has a great voice but the real breakout here is Markéta Irglová. She's phenomenal and you really feel for her. I'm curious if she is going to be in any other films after this because she was great here and I wouldn't be surprised if she wound up winning an Oscar sometime down the road. 2007 has given me many surprises, and while I'm not surprised at all that I loved this, I am surprised at how much I loved it. It was just a perfect movie.

10/10 (A+), and if it was at all possible, I'd give it a higher rating.

I watched it today, and got it for Christmas, does that count?

I'm so sad I missed this in theaters. It played for two or three weeks about 45 minutes away (though the theater is right down the street from where my mom lives, it's where I saw The Kite Runner a few days ago). I'm so glad my friend gave it to me as an early Christmas present. I'm sure I'll watch it again very, very soon.

I can't believe how many 10/10 (A+)'s I've given this year. Last year I only gave one and the year before it I gave two or three. This year I've given SIX!!!

B+. A stunningly film , that takes more of the reality route to a musical more than anything. The music is fantastic.

I bought the Once DVD/soundtrack combo from amazon with some Christmas money. Does that count?

Unfortunately I was expecting so much more from this, and for once (or twice) I have to agree with Bradley. Call me cynical, whatever, but to me, it's the most overhyped movie of the year. I really really wanted to love this, but when you can't connect, you just can't. It's like falling in love I guess. The songs are kinda good, the chemistry between the leads is believable and it does have the right ending. That's it for me.


In fact, I think I enjoyed Music & Lyrics (the mainstream companion to this) as much, if not more - as pure entertainment at least. Some parts here simply bored me, and for a 85 minute film, that's pretty bad.


(I don't feel like grading movies lately but this one would be like a 3/5 at best)

It's an emo romance (EMO-ROM), and worse it's target audience seems to be emo's old enough to know better...