Once - movie recommendation
I've seen the Irish film Once not once, but four times now, and I like it better every time. Every year, there are one or two films that absolutely hook me, and this year, it's Once.
The film tells the intimate story of a guy and a girl (you never learn their names) who decide to create music together. He's a guitarist, and she plays piano. One could call it a realist musical, shot documentary-style in Dublin. The couple performing the main roles are real musicians, not actors, and yet they give us not just great music, but also the two most touching, subtle, and genuine acting performances I've seen this year. And all this because a friend of theirs decided to make a small, cheap movie on HD, wrote an outline of a story (ala Wong Kar-Wai), and managed to get a $150,000 grant from the Irish Film Board. This is just one more example of why public funds for art are so important. A film like this would never have been made by Hollywood.
It'll be out on DVD soon. If you've ever experienced anything like the story in the movie (I know I have), you will be absolutely floored. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!