![['Once' - movie starring Glen Hansard & Markéta Irglová]](https://i0.wp.com/www.theframes.ie/v4/_img/oncethemovie-2.jpg)
Once, 115 min
dir. John Carney
There is a lot more going on in John Carney’s Once than meets the eye.
You can’t be anything but glad this film became a success. It’s a fun look at the artistic process, the music is great, and it’s awesome that a small little project like this can captivate as many people as it did.
It stars two extremely natural actors in Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova. Hansard is the well-known lead singer of the Irish band The Frames. They are a great band but there is something about a passion for a 19 year old woman that can inspire a man to write the best music of his life, and Hansard did it with their side project The Swell Season.
Cillian Murphy was originally slated to play Hansard’s part, which would have been absolutely horrible.
“Everytime” — The Swell Season (mp3)
As we said, there’s a lot to love about this movie, although it ultimately hinges on one emotional note–desire for one person and the possibility of it
Hansard, Irglova, & Carney.
“If You Want Me” — The Swell Season (mp3)
“This Low” — The Swell Season (mp3)
“Falling Slowly” — The Swell Season (mp3)
You can’t help getting a little absorbed in the love story because these two have incredible chemistry and are both so terrific, the desire to see them get it on is strong in you, Luke.
The small town Irish people are great, as is the sense of the culture. It probably wouldn’t be as interesting in Ireland, but that’s OK. It probably wouldn’t be interesting if she weren’t beautiful and if Hansard wasn’t such an incredible singer. They nailed it, there’s no need to say why the script doesn’t much work. That’s not the point. The music video segments are extremely strong, especially the ones that feature Marketa, the duet in the music store, and the solo walking the streets. She’s the real star here; while Hansard is a talented songwriter, she’s gorgeous, young, and a terrific actress. I could see her being the Czech Claire Danes.
LINK THAT CAN’T WAIT FOR MONDAY
Lust, Caution, which looks criminally boring, wins in Venice.
PREVIOUSLY ON THIS RECORDING
I cannot recommend Dexter any more hiiiiighly.
Molly tackled this Michael Cera business.
Tess versus the health care system.
This Recording 
Here’s the part where I say:
1) I think Glen Hansard is utterly repellent, and would have rather seen Cillian Murphy in it. Cillian apparently was a fairly well-known Irish rocker and his acting career just broke first.
2) The idea of 38 year old Glen Hansard and any 19 year girl (no matter how talented a musician) makes me throw up in my mouth a little.
3) I don’t think “The Czech Claire Danes” is a compliment. Claire Danes is a weird-looking one-note actress and Chloe Sevigny has the whole “ugly-pretty” thing covered already, and can act.
4) I haven’t seen the movie. This is why I have so many strong unsupported opinions on it.
5) He’s old enough to be her father! Look at that picture! He looks like a creepy Irish girls’ soccer coach!
6) What, no mention that Everytime is a Britney Spears cover?
Great stuff, despite what anymajordude might think.
As for the love of a 38 year old guy for a 19 year old — I’m a teacher, so I’ve successfully trained myself to think that’s really, really icky. But my own vocationally necessary acculturation shouldn’t bias others, IMHO. (As long as we can equally support 38 year old women who find their true love in 19 year old boys, and God bless ’em.)