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Once
2007 85 min Ireland, United States of America R 18+
★8.6
Drama, Music, Romance
Director: John Carney
Trailers
Description
A vacuum repairman moonlights as a street musician and hopes for his big break. One day a Czech immigrant, who earns a living selling flowers, approaches him with the news that she is also an aspiring singer-songwriter. The pair decide to collaborate, and the songs that they compose reflect the story of their blossoming love.
Budget:
$160,000
US Gross:
$9.44M
Worldwide:
$20.71M
Starring
Glen Hansard
Actor
Markéta Irglová
Actor
Hugh Walsh
Actor
Awards
Academy Awards 2008
— Best Original Song
Sundance Film Festival 2007
— Audience Award – Drama (World Cinema)
Sundance Film Festival 2007
— Grand Jury Prize – Drama (World Cinema)
Key opinion
Once is widely celebrated as an authentic, emotionally resonant indie drama that uses its minimalist production and non-professional cast to create a deeply immersive experience. While a small minority finds the low-budget aesthetic and heavy reliance on music tedious or slow, most viewers are captivated by its sincere portrayal of human connection and the strength of its Oscar-winning soundtrack.
| Score | The Oscar-winning soundtrack serves as the film's beating heart, seamlessly driving the narrative and emotional development. | |
| Acting | The non-professional leads deliver raw, highly believable performances that lend the film a documentary-like sincerity. | |
| Production | The film masterfully utilizes its limited, low-budget production and handheld cinematography to capture an authentic, grounded sense of place in Dublin. | |
| Screenplay | The narrative avoids conventional melodrama, favoring a subtle, realistic approach to human connection and musical collaboration. | |
| Pacing | The film's pacing is polarizing; admirers find the slow, contemplative tempo immersive, while others view it as tedious, thin, or over-reliant on musical numbers. | |
| Ending | Opinions on the ending are divided, with some praising its realistic, bittersweet finality, while others find the lack of traditional resolution or closure unsatisfying. |