We're All in the Mood for a Melody, and You've Got Us Feelin'...OK
Once / John Williams
The degree to which you get swept away by Once will be exactly the degree to which you like the music of Damien Rice. The wispy songwriter doesn’t appear in the movie (though he is thanked in the closing credits), but the songs at the center of this indie musical are straight from his mold — simple, sentimental lyrics sung in an alternately gentle and keening voice by a sensitive guy, with backup vocals and piano from an equally sensitive woman. In fact, if you believe in reviews as simple utilitarian guides to whether or not you should see something, look no further than this first paragraph. If Rice’s songs are near the top of your iTunes when you organize things by “play count,” and if your late-night drives are accompanied by his music and tearful thoughts of an ex, run to see this movie. If his voice sends you into physical spasms followed by a strong urge to send him to boot camp for some toughening up, skip this one.
Me, I fall somewhere in between. When woe-rock is judiciously placed on film it can underscore an emotion, but when someone (oh, I don’t know, Zach Braff) uses it too often, you start to wonder if the movie was reverse-engineered from the soundtrack. John Carney, the writer-director of Once, at least gets credit for owning up to the order of things; his movie is primarily, self-consciously a vehicle to showcase original songs performed by Glen Hansard (of the Irish rock band The Frames) and Marketa Irglova (a Czech musician who recorded an album with Hansard last year).
Set in Dublin, Once opens on the unnamed busker played by Hansard singing “And the Healing Has Begun” by Van Morrison to a sparse afternoon crowd. So far, so good. In fact, given the choice of song, one of my very favorites, I was ready to move Once to the front of the Oscar race. In the ensuing scene, he sings an original number of his at night, to no one. When he opens his eyes, a lone pretty woman (Irglova) stands in front of him, clapping.
It doesn’t spoil things to recount most of the rest. Hansard, heartbroken about a former girlfriend who cheated on him and now lives in London, spends part of his time working in a vacuum cleaner repair shop with his stoic father. Irglova is an immigrant street vendor (roses) who can sing and play piano. She lives with her mother and the young daughter she had with a now-estranged husband. The two quickly end up in a music store — the owner allows Irglova to play the pianos she can’t afford — and find that mixing their musical chocolate and peanut butter makes for a tasty treat. Mismatched in age but obviously drawn to each other, the pair’s innocent flirtations continue and they eventually rent a recording studio for a weekend with a full band. (In the movie, Irglova appears to be at least 10 years younger than Hansard. In real life, it’s more like 20.)
It’s easy to admire Once. Filmed in a naturalistic way, with charming amateur actors hired for their musical abilities, it’s the type of movie I wrote about in a guide last week. And there are satisfying scenes when Carney gets creative with his limited palette. In one, Irglova is listening to one of Hansard’s musical tracks, trying to sing along with the lyrics she’s writing for it, when the batteries on her portable disc player die. She ventures out into the late night for a fresh supply. As she walks home, listening to the music on the rejuvenated machine, Carney turns the small, private moment into a larger pleasure by laying the fully mixed track over the visual image.
The crippling problem is that Once is a genuine musical — I would guess that 60 of its 85 minutes feature songs, frequently played in their entirety. But unlike, say, Guys and Dolls, where the songs tell stories, all of the music in Once is of the generic “you broke us down with your lies” and “call and I’ll come running” variety. None of them develop the story or push it forward; they simply tell you, over and over again, that these are people who feel a great deal. So Once might be a noble stripped-down affair, with the beginnings of a compelling love story, but in the end it’s an extended music video. If it was a video based on the more literary work of Paul Simon, or even Springsteen, we might be talking about something. But based on work that echoes Damien Rice? That’s a watery stew.
John Williams lives in Brooklyn. He’s an editor at Harper Perennial and a freelance writer. He blogs at A Special Way of Being Afraid.
Let's play a game of whisper down the Pajiba | | Pajiba Love 06/06/07
Comments
Wow... how very... UNscathing. That was possibly the most blah review I've ever seen here. But I understand your point. When it's musically based, I'm sure it's hard to give a decisive review for the masses without moving into music critic territory.
Posted by: Lauren at June 6, 2007 3:41 PM
So you're saying that if my Alien Vs. Predator dvd is scratched, I can throw Once in there and get the same "I wanna gouge my eyes out" feeling?
Posted by: Manny at June 6, 2007 3:50 PM
I just love the term "woe-rock". I now plan on using it with on all my angsty indie friends.
Posted by: TK at June 6, 2007 4:02 PM
Well, I loved it but I love woe-rock. I definitely can appreciate how someone who doesn't would not like the film. One quibble: I don't think it was the "beginnings" of a love story, I think it is an entire love story. There are more ways to have a love story than the traditional Hollywood ending. (I can't really say any more for fear of spoiling anything.)
Posted by: Carrie at June 6, 2007 4:09 PM
Actually, I can't stand Damien Rice and I LOVED this movie......odd, yes?
Posted by: whol at June 6, 2007 4:56 PM
Actually, I can't stand Damien Rice and I LOVED this movie......odd, yes?
Posted by: whol at June 6, 2007 4:57 PM
Actually, I can't stand Damien Rice and I LOVED this movie......odd, yes?
Posted by: whol at June 6, 2007 4:57 PM
sorry about the triple post....
Posted by: whol at June 6, 2007 4:58 PM
A film set in Dublin with real people and Frames-esque music? My critical abilities just flew out the window. I will be all over this one.
Posted by: PaddyDog at June 6, 2007 5:17 PM
Maybe it's just me but this sounds heart-stoppingly dull.
Posted by: L2 at June 6, 2007 6:54 PM
Maybe it's just me but this sounds heart-stoppingly dull.
Posted by: L2 at June 6, 2007 6:54 PM
Yeah I actually meant to double post - I felt that strongly about the issue as you can tell.
Posted by: L2 at June 6, 2007 6:56 PM
Saw it, liked it pretty well. I thought it was a pretty interesting study of the creative process. Story's not much, but then you can say that about most movies, and at least these people are likable.
Posted by: LL at June 6, 2007 8:25 PM
I'm a new reader and I've been catching up on some of the past reviews and I now official dub myself a putz for falling for the whole Zach Braff is cool movement. I apologize and hope you can all over look my faults. And I probably won't see this movie even though I kind of wanted to...
Posted by: Jill at June 6, 2007 8:25 PM
I'm a new reader and I've been catching up on some of the past reviews and I now official dub myself a putz for falling for the whole Zach Braff is cool movement. I apologize and hope you can all over look my faults. And I probably won't see this movie even though I kind of wanted to...
Posted by: Jill at June 6, 2007 8:25 PM
I genuinely want to thank everyone for the double- and triple-posts, simply because it moved my browser down past that scary fucking Celebitrix custard snowman on the left -----
Mother fucker, there he is on the right!
Celebitrix, you and your ad agency have earned an enemy for life. WTF is that supposed to be?
Posted by: socalledonlycousins at June 7, 2007 1:39 AM
ahha first movie i pajib(eat) you to. as in i saw it before reading the review. will somone pleeeease agree with me that marketa looked like Jessica Simpson. My friend feined ignorance... but i thought the facial similarity was astonishing...
Posted by: jobs at June 7, 2007 2:28 AM
People, people, people!! Enough with the Braff-bashing! Garden State got a great review on this very website!! Sure, his movies may be on the earnest/self concious side, but that still leaves them with more artistic integrity than 95% of the lame-ass movies being made.
[Plus, I am an incredibly loyal scrubs fan. Could you tell?]
Posted by: JJ McClay at June 7, 2007 5:58 AM
I saw "Once" in Philly a month ago-ish and the director and stars did a Q&A after. After that they played music from the film: live. Those people are for-real. Seriously. Honest- they were the serious real-deal for real thing.
Completely.
Posted by: alisson at June 7, 2007 3:31 PM
Overall a solid review, but I have to disagree on one point:
But unlike, say, Guys and Dolls, where the songs tell stories, all of the music in Once is of the generic "you broke us down with your lies" and "call and I'll come running" variety. None of them develop the story or push it forward...
While that's true, I think it misses the point that the story is moved forward by the moments between the songs - or even by the simple existence of the songs; not their content, I mean, but the simple fact that the main characters let down their guard enough to sing together. It's a movie that merits close attention and patience, I think. The songs don't narrate what's happening, but they provide a framework around which things (and characters) can change.
Also I must agree with Carrie - not the beginnings of a love story, but the whole arc of an untraditional love story.
I admit that I have a serious weakness for films like this - quiet, small, with everything happening around the edges of the screen. Not everyone's cup of tea, I'm sure, but it's on my Top However-Many Movies Of The Year list.
Posted by: Alanna at June 7, 2007 4:33 PM
I love the phrases that this site comes up with. "Woe rock" is going on the list with "carnography".
Posted by: stardust savant at June 7, 2007 10:27 PM
I was on the bus at sundance with both of the leads from this film-it looked like they were a couple very much in love, which according to the gals next to me, "totally made them love once waaay more..."
so that's my contribution to this.
Posted by: jules at June 8, 2007 12:06 AM
Not to get all music nerd on you, but The Frames have been releasing the "woe-rock" longer than Damien Rice (solo, anyway), but Damien does get more play in the US.
Anyway, you are right in that if you don't enjoy the music, the movie will be tedious. I enjoy the music (not everyday or all the time, but in general), so I'm sure I'll add this to the queue when it comes out to rent.
Posted by: Sara at June 10, 2007 2:50 AM
This review does no justice to the film. instead of focusing on whether or not you actually LIKE the music, maybe you should admire the fact that they seemlessly tied each and every song into the movie without it sounding forced. it's a modern musical with a great approach.
and, considering that it could have been so easy for this movie to sink into cliche and didn't should prove well enough that this is a movie worth seeing. as a musician i have met many, many people like the main characters before...despite having little or no acting experience, the two leads manage to make their characters real and recognizable.
as for your issues with the music not pushing the plot forward...of course it does! the lyrics of the music tell us what the script doesn't. the songs are about lost love and unrequited love - that's the whole essence of their relationship, it's simply plutonic because at this point it just can't be any other way.
the music is original, and while it may have some of the same qualities as damien rice music (in terms of the leading male's vocal tone)...it's much more stronger and substantial in it's melodies. i pretty much loathe damien rice, i find his music boring and too unassuming but the music from "once" pulled me in, and it has more variation than rice music.
i don't know, i really don't think you're giving this movie the credit it deserves. in a summer that's plagued by splashy blockbusters, this movie may just end up being the most genuine film to come out.
Posted by: citizen_cris at July 6, 2007 11:25 PM
Being better than most things does not necessarily mean a movie deserves to be seen, or to get a rave review.
Posted by: Meredith at July 29, 2007 1:25 AM