When I started to watch this movie, frankly I did not know what I was going to find myself with. The film is developed in a very special way, you will be catching little by little and when you want to realize, you are immersed in a beautiful work where not only the story of the characters, but also in the way they express their Emotions and dreams through music. When I finished watching the movie I asked myself: What wonderful thing just happened? Why did this movie come to me so deep? Simply because of its simplicity and beauty and the way it manages to connect with it.

If you are the type of a person to watch movie to judge beautiful cinematography or look for masterful direction, don't look here. Thats not the only problem with the movie, editing is choppy, the camera setup is boring, blocking is very simple, and it is clear that the stars of the movie Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova are not professional actors. So why does this film work so well? Perhaps it's because of the soundtrack recorded by the two stars. Their voices compliment each other perfectly in their tunes and it fits the story. The rough edginess of Hansard's voice blends with the soothing nature of Irglova's. However; if only the songs are what makes "Once" what it is, it would've not have gotten the accolades, awards, and nominations from variety of sources which made me be interested in the movie. So once again, why does this film work? Because of it's mistakes. Once is a romance, and usually movie industry does a poor job in conveying what romance really is. In movies love is too perfect, and beauty is above the truth. In here love is not beautiful, it's awkward, choppy, and unprofessional, that's why it works. The movie does not lose anything because of it's lacklustre qualities, in fact it gains something which many Hollywood movie can't even create, rawness. I heard that the director's next movie "Begin Again" with a similar premise but a bigger budget did not fare as well. While I haven't seen the movie yet (and would love to compare those movies) I assume that the bigger budget got rid of the rawness prominent in "Once." As a film, it lacks a lot. If you show this to your film professor, they will undoubtedly discredit the movie. However; we should not focus on it's lack of cinema techniques and look at what the movie revealed to us. Truth.

From the rough and uncut opening image and the song being sung, it was clear this was a different kind of movie. So many love stories are about tired and overused clichés that focus on the most superficial forms of human relationships. This is light years from that.It's about two lonely souls connecting at a level that is far too rarely seen in films these days. Add to that a soundtrack that is full of passion and skill (not to mention an authentic Irish vibe that feels both immediate and vibrant) and it creates an experience that is truly life-affirming and life-giving.I've seen a few of the "hater" reviews and it's like they were watching a different movie than I did. Just don't get it. To each, his/her own, I guess.

I really wanted to like this film. I feel guilty for not liking it. But it felt over-rated to me. I like how its scenes and dialogue and locations are ultra realistic. It was obviously filmed on a very low budget, in that cold Irish weather. I like how The Guy and The Girl are struggling musicians. But I can't help compare Once to The Commitments. The latter was spirited, smart and sarcastic, and about 5 times better than Once. Once is very earnest and serious - where is that famous Irish humour? Its music is nowhere near as good as The Commitments, and its script and plot is rather dull. To me, there is no sense of tension or passion. I didn't find the songs tuneful and I didn't like the lead guy's voice when he was shouting. It is far more focused on the songs than the story or romance, so it seems more like a band documentary than a romantic film. It's a musos' film. It's far more focused on the guy's feelings than the girl's. Sorry but I won't be watching Once more than once.