Movie Review: Once

This movie seemed to be shot with no pre-conceptualized idea on what the story is about or how it will be presented in a film. It seemed like someone just picked up a video camera, ask random strangers to act; and that's it. Which is exactly what made it so amazingly real. So real, that even if it is a musical, it doesn't seem like it was a musical at all. There were no impromptu dance acts or song numbers. The songs sung in the movie are how they are meant to be sung in the real world. Like how you and me would sing it in a proper place; like in your room, in my living area, or in your head while walking alone at night from somewhere.

The cameras were obviously handheld and they shot it on location with real random people as backgrounds or extras. You will notice in some scenes that there are people in the background that looks at the camera with a big question mark on their faces. The technique used in this movie like blending in with the random crowd, made it more real and raw, as if you were spying on the two characters. The character's name weren't even mentioned at all in the movie. What troubled me while watching it were the dialogues, the actors were Irish and sometimes they were hard to understand, harder than the British accent.

The songs are nice, so nice that if you listen to the songs carefully while watching the movie you will definitely be stirred and will be able to dig more deeper in the character's story. The lyric's of the songs are light and easy to the ears, no deciphering of any kind to understand their meaning or message. As you watch the movie, you can tell when the singing will happen. It can be on the streets because one character is a street singer, but aside from there you can definitely tell when another song number will occur. It's real, because anyone can do it, anyone can relate on how they sing and how they act, think, and interact with one another. Okay not everyone, because only real life musicians will be able to truly relate to any of the characters. Nonetheless, this is a wonderful movie that most can relate to taking away the singing parts.

No heavy drama in this movie, no heavy acting either, no conflict, no barrier, no antagonist. Perhaps there were conflicts or conflict but it was the story itself, unfolding. This movie is like a peek into a story of a guy meets girl and how things go, literally. The guy gets to know the girl, guy gets to know the family, girl and guy gets to know each other more, etc, etc. Typical girl and guy gets to know each other story, but wait, there' more; this is not your ordinary love story movie. There are no mushy scenes, no kisses, no intimacy, no love scenes, no giggly moments, but definitely it made me smile. This movie does not have the mushy-giggle factor of most romantic movies or chick flicks have. Songs in this film are brilliantly written and soulful. Everything in this movie is just so subtle, so ordinarily made, but definitely this is not an ordinary flick that you will watch only once.
 
                            

Today is the Time for Goodbye

Let’s stay friends forever and ever
Let’s dream of tomorrow and walk the road of hope
We will live freely like a bird flying in the sky
Today, we say goodbye until the day we meet again
Today, we say goodbye until the day we meet again

Let’s treasure the joy of believing in each other
Today we say goodbye until the day we meet again
Until the day we meet again.


Kyo No Hi Wa Sayonara (Today is the Time for Goodbye) translated lyrics


Here's the scene where the song is from. A bit of warning, disturbingly brutal scenes.