Songbird
Jun
19
Once, twice, thrice a lady.
Filed Under Film Box
Once
Director / Writer: John Carney
Players:
The setup was something familiar, yet new. “Guy” – aka “Bearded Scott Man” falls for “Girl” – aka “Fleet Fingered Czech Chick”, that’s about the length and breadth of it. It’s the details that make this one special, from the meandering way the pseudo love story evolves and copulates with a kiss on the cheek to the heartfelt singing of the Bearded Scott that tugs just a little at your soul. This, like other music films before it, is basically a love note from the songwriter to the celluloid addicts out there. I haven’t heard Guy’s voice before seeing the trailer some time ago now, nor experienced his lyrics. I, unlike some people I know, haven’t even heard of The Frames before being educated on the matter in a most succinct manner, however I will be sure to seek out and absorb it all henceforth.
I haven’t done a bit of research on the matter (and I don’t plan to considering reality doesn’t work like my favorite stories), but I muse and reverie that all these songs were brought to life in the exact way that we saw unfold in front of us. It’s just… beautiful. Of course, by now you must be thinking that this is the greatest film of the year. What I like to call a “life-altering-experience”. Alas, it is not, for its greatest strength is also its greatest flaw: the music. But wait, you’re thinking, I thought you loved the music?! I did. With the plot and characters as sparse as they were, it felt more like a string of music videos than a proper film.
That said, the wonderful thing about Once is how much was done with so little. Yes the characters had very little screen time to make their mark, but a mark was made. Their story is so endearing and they felt so real, all the development normally necessary for other films would have felt tacked on. I think perhaps my hang-ups with Once are selfish ones: I simply want to know the whole story. I want to experience all those side glances between the lines. I wanted more…
So are you wondering if I really liked the film or not? Well good, ’cause so do I. No matter what, it’s worth watching if only to feel the bleeding heart pumping on to the giant screen through his vocal chords. Check it out.
-Pip
Comments
3 Responses to “Once, twice, thrice a lady.”
Leave a Reply
Disclaimer
Music found on this blog is for sampling only. If you like what you hear then support the artist. Buy their music, attend a show and spread the word. If you own the rights to any of the music featured here and you would like me to remove it contact me and I will remove the link immediately.
Click the
tag to listen, right click the song title to save. If you find that an mp3 is not playing chances are it has expired.
Contact
Rachel - Music, FilmAggregator Love
I recently read that, in real life, the two stars of the film are actually dating. So, if the chemistry felt true – I haven’t seen the film yet, so I wouldn’t know – that’s probably because it was.
And you should definitely listen to The Frames. They’re fantastic. :)
You would really like this movie Chad, check it out. And I think Pip said it best, “it’s worth watching if only to feel the bleeding heart pumping on to the giant screen through his vocal chords.”
So true it gives you chills and it is a perfect demonstration of how awesome The Frames are live.
Yeah, I definitely plan on seeing it soon…and I saw the Frames live a few years ago, not really knowing who they were at the time, and their performance blew me away. I got their records the next day.