Once

“Once” is pretty much a perfect little musical. It is perfect because it is little, and who knew musicals could work as little movies? Usually they’re so over the top that you’ve got to assume coming in that you’re in a parallel universe where it’s perfectly normal to burst into song and dance numbers in the middle of a busy street, and for passersby to know the dance steps — and harmonies — by heart.

But “Once” isn’t beamed to us from that universe. It comes fresh off the streets of Dublin, and feels real, gritty, and immediate. It’s about a guy who plays guitar on the street for change (called a “Busker” across the pond,) and a girl who stops to listen to him. Turns out she can play a little, too. Naturally there’s music involved, but no dancing.

I wonder if everyone will enjoy the music as much as I did. Glen Hansard, who is the lead singer of the Frames, plays the Guy (he’s never given a name in the film.) He sounds kind of like Damien Rice, with that sort of quiet-quiet-loud dynamic that’s coming out of Ireland lately. The songs to my ear are exquisite, emotional, powerful and poetic, and I’m looking forward to buying the soundtrack.

Marketa Irglova plays the Girl. She has a penchant for personal questions along with a gentle but blunt manner. After he fixes her vacuum cleaner, she takes him to a music shop that lets her play piano on her lunch breaks, he teaches her one of his songs, and what follows is one of the best, most touching, most beautifully simple scenes I’ve seen in a long time.

The chemistry between these two is so strong it’s almost palpable, and so naturally, what we think we’re watching is a developing romance. But this is where “Once” moves from good to great: it doesn’t become a romance. Instead, things get messy. Turns out she has a son, and a husband – back in Czech. And while it’s clear their relationship isn’t all roses, she’s not willing to give up on it just yet. He’s got an ex in London he’s still writing songs about, and she encourages him to reinitiate that relationship.

Instead of making love, they make music. She helps him find some studio space, some musicians (other buskers with a passion for Thin Lizzy) and some songs to put on a demo. Their relationship grows as the music does, and at one point, he asks her if she loves her husband. She answers in Czech. There is no subtitle; we are as clueless as he is.

I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that the film feels as fresh and real as it does; so much of it is real. Glen Hansard isn’t just really singing the songs; he’s really singing his own songs. Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova really are musical partners (they released a CD together last year) and from what I hear, they are also romantically involved. Still, it’s not every day that reality transers to the screen this flawlessly.

I can count on one hand the number of movies I’ve seen over the years in which chemistry between two characters doesn’t lead to sex. It seems to be a foregone conclusion in Hollywood; if you connect with someone, eventually you’ll sleep with them. But most of us grownups know that’s not true, and are glad for it. Chemistry, connection, even intimacy are found in a myriad of places; among lovers of books, or rivers, or music. In Hollywood, if you don’t have sex with someone you’re attracted to, that’s tragic. But the real tragedy is that, according to Hollywood, sexual intimacy is the only kind of intimacy out there.

Kudos to the director, the screenwriter or whoever’s responsible here for recognizing that there are different kinds of intimacy, that making beautiful music together can be as powerful, emotional, and confusing as making babies together. It’s confusing as hell, and “Once” acknowledges that. I find the ending deeply satisfying: what they had was beautiful, and what they chose was right. Not every good relationship ends between the sheets. Don’t we all know that already? Isn’t it refreshing to finally find a movie that knows that too?

Recommended

• if you’re ready for something refreshingly different
• if the Hollywood formula “attraction=sex” has gotten old for you
• if you love the Frames, Glen Hansard, or British indie music

Not Recommended

• if you like Hollywood formulas, like “attraction=sex” or “Musical=big, brash, and unbelievable.”
• if Irish accents drive you nuts. In a bad way.
• If you hate indie music and the folks who make it.