Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that although there's a fair amount of swearing in this endearing indie romance -- particularly "f--k" -- hardly anything else would raise a flag for teens and up. In fact, it's one of the few love stories that doesn't require its leads to get naked or fall in bed together. A thief does try to make off with the musician's street earnings, and there's some bitter talk of past breakups, plenty of beer drinking, and flirtation between a married woman and a single man (even though both know she's still married). But the positive messages about love and emotional connection outweigh any iffiness.
Families can talk about what makes this movie so different from typical Hollywood romances. How does the main couple connect without having sex? Do other movies rely too much on establishing relationships primarily through getting physical? How do most movies define "love"? Is that realistic? Families can also discuss the fact that movies often portray the pursuit of dreams. Do these dreams seem attainable? If not, how do you keep the faith?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: S. Jhoanna Robledo
John Carney's musical ONCE is one of those gems that so rarely graces the big screen these days: a truly good movie. Glen Hansard, frontman for beloved Irish indie-rock band The Frames, stars as an unnamed musician who wears his broken heart on his guitar strings. Though he works at his father's vacuum-cleaner repair shop, music is his art, one he hones by singing on the streets of Dublin. During the day, he plays Van Morrison songs (and quite well, in fact). But at night, he sings his own compositions -- sad, affecting tunes -- with a passion that has no relationship to audience size.
One day a young woman (Marketa Irglova) -- also unnamed -- stops to watch him, dropping 10 cents into his open guitar case afterward and grilling him about his inspiration. Turns out she's an accomplished, impoverished Czech immigrant who plays the piano beautifully but sells flowers and cleans houses to make ends meet.
In a refreshing change from many screen romances, the two barely talk about sex as their relationship begins (except in one awkward scene when he propositions her). Their connection feels exactly like the ideal version of falling in love -- boundless and based on much more than physical attraction. No question about it: They're soul mates, and theirs is a story of the transformative power of love and music.
That Carney, who once was a member of The Frames himself, could fashion such a moving, romantic film without resorting to the ho-hum boy-meets-girl, boy-loses-girl formula is a testament to his talent as both a writer and a director. Deftly and lightly, he lets emotions build up quietly for maximum impact. The relationship between the two leads develops as if in real life: unhurriedly but with great force. No one quite knows what happens next, but it hardly matters. The journey itself is enough.
The movie's songs aid the storytelling -- but, unlike most musicals, they pour out naturally, as you'd expect when two accomplished musicians unite. In "Falling Slowly," a haunting melody, the pair sings in harmony: "I don't know you/But I want you/All the more for that." In fact, the movie itself plays like a great song; you could listen to it over and over and rediscover something new each time.
According to press reports, Irish actor Cillian Murphy was originally slated to play the role of the guitarist. But when he was unavailable, Carney recruited Hansard, who'd been working on the soundtrack and who'd recommended Irglova for the part of the pianist. Though neither star has logged much previous screen time (Hansard has starred in one other movie, The Commitments; Irglova in none), their inexperience serves them well, lending their onscreen pairing an air of innocence that befits the film's sweet center. No wonder it was lauded with the World Cinema Audience Award at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival.
Fans may also appreciate Richard Linklater's Before Sunrise and Before Sunset, which share a similar ethereal sensibility.
Rate It!
| Content | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CS | adults | kids | ||
Sexual ContentA man propositions a woman, but indirectly and awkwardly. One mention of "hanky panky," but in a jovial, respectful manner. Sexual tension, but the focus is on the couple's burgeoning emotional attachment, not what would happen if they got naked. |
 |
|
|
|
ViolenceNo overt violence, but some potentially upsetting scenes related to poverty -- families shoehorned into very small apartments, for instance. |
|
|
|
|
LanguageLots of swearing, usually involving "f--k" -- as in "for f--k's sake" and "f--king brilliant." |
 |
 |
|
|
Message |
|
|
|
|
Social BehaviorThe characters develop a wonderful, delicate, and respectful romance; from the onset, they treat each other like equals (a rare thing onscreen). Lots of emphasis is placed on pursuing your dreams, and the couple is very supportive of each other's wants and needs. Characters care for both their elders and their children with grace. A couple of sour notes: Lots of swearing, and a man drives after some drinks and no sleep. |
 |
 |
|
|
CommercialismVery little, though the street musician sings in front of a CD store with the name fully displayed. |
|
|
|
|
Drug/Alcohol/TobaccoSome smoking in pubs; lots of drinking in social situations. |
 |
|
|
|
