 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Once
- Review Date: December 16, 2007
- R
- Genre: Musical
- 2007
Common Sense Media says
Sweet, romantic musical hits all the right notes.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
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.
What's the story?
Glen Hansard, frontman for beloved Irish indie-rock band The Frames, stars as an unnamed musician who sings on the streets of Dublin. During the day, he plays Van Morrison songs, but at night, he sings his own compositions -- sad, affecting tunes -- with a passion that has no relationship to audience size. One day he meets a young woman (Marketa Irglova) who turns out to be an accomplished, impoverished Czech immigrant who plays the piano beautifully but sells flowers and cleans houses to make ends meet. They're soul mates, and theirs is a story of the transformative power of love and music.
Is it any good?
John Carney's musical ONCE is one of those gems that so rarely graces the big screen these days: a truly good movie. 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.
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.
What families can talk about
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?
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AGE
Way too much cussing, otherwise great!
I really, really liked this movie. The language was an extreme disappointment, F this, F that. But, really, that's all there was that was objectionable in the movie for me. There's a little drinking and such, but not over the top or anything. There's one guy who's strung out on heroin or something, but you don't see him doing it and they certainly don't make it look glamorous. Overall, the movie I think had a positive message about the sanctity of friendship and marriage. And some great music as well! I'm not even in to the style of music in the movie and I'm planning on buying the soundtrack. I don't think kids should see it with all the cussing (do kids really need to experience that?), but if you're able to get past a million and one F-bombs, this is a pretty solid movie. I suspect my wife and I will buy it.
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AGE
A must see for every one ten yers old and up
This movie was like a breath of fresh air.
More than entertainmen with its moving theme and refreshingly convincing characters, it showed how cinema could createsomething akin to a magical experience of "dropping in" to someone else's life and enjoying the time spent
there1 The songs written by the characters were so good we can't wait for the release of both a DVD and a CD!
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AGE
A Classic--Don't miss it!
This was a lovely experience, and so suitable! Another reviewer said the Ratings Board members should suffer eternal punishment for giving this film an "R" rating. I agree. This film is incredibly suitable, as well as being OUTSTANDING. The ONLY reason it's rated "R" is the use of the F word, usually as an adjective, i.e. "That's F-ing fantastic!" I was worried about taking my 12 yr old to an R movie--no need! I wasn't embarassed, not once--except when I bought the tickets!
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AGE
Beautiful
The most achingly beautiful film I have seen for some time. This is undoubtedly tied for my absolute favorite films of all time, along with American Beauty, Pan's Labyrinth, and some others (I'm a rather indecisive person when it comes to my favorite movie). The just plain simplicity and beauty in the film is amazing, and the songs are hauntingly mesmerizing, especially "Falling Away". With that one song the movie moved me more than any other movie ever has, and watching the two characters put it together quite possibly the highlight of the film. In all seriousness, you MUST see this film.
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AGE
It's called 'Once' because you can only watch it once ...
Totally CRAP! It was so boring and all the songs sounded the same.... Maybe they were all the same songs.... Don't know....
I have no idea how it won so many awards!
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AGE
Not appropriate for under 17!
I can not imagine thinking this movie appropriate for those under 17, based on the language alone. Every other word is f**k. Should we really be telling our 13-year-olds that this kind of language is OK by letting them watch this movie? OK, the movie's content is not offensive, but it is rated R for language, and that recommendation should be followed. I am disappointed in Commonsense for recommending it for age 13.
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| Studio: | Fox Searchlight |
| Director: | John Carney |
| Cast: | Glen Hansard, Hugh Walsh, Marketa Irglova |
| Genre: | Musical |
| Run time: | 85 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | May 16, 2007 |
| DVD release date: | December 18, 2007 |
| MPAA rating: | R |
| MPAA explanation: | language. |
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