Once

Release Year: 2006

Director: John Carney

Review: What a great music video.  Yes, I might be trivializing John Carney's film, but in the end its very thin on plot and heavy on the music.  This, however, is not a bad thing.  There is just enough of a story to hold together this endearing little film.  It's more about the mood and feel than the saga.  Carney uses the music to tell his story, and its very effective in this sense.  He uses musicians instead of actors, and while their acting may not be earth-shattering, its effective in its use. More than making up for their lack of acting chops is their authenticity in their craft.  This is a fine band movie, and an experience which can best be described as relaxing.  This sort of modern musical niches out its own genre, that while not overly ambitious, is an enjoyable journey none the less.

Rating: 3.5/5