once

seems this little film has hit a chord with the film-going public
the warning signs were there when i ventured into the adjacent cd store
and there were people from the previous session queuing up to buy the soundtrack
luckily i took my usual centre row centre screen seat well before the start
and then proceeded to watch quite increduously as the theatre filled up
i've not seen that happen for a long time at any of the films i subscribe to
the action is set in modern day dublin but in fact has a timelessness about it
it could quite easily have been any year in the last 2 or 3 decades
but for the occassional nod to technology e.g. the appearance in one scene of a laptop
otherwise there is it seems a very deliberate attempt to keep it very simple
we don't even learn the names of the 2 main characters
boy is a local dubliner singer/songwriter/guitarist nursing a broken heart
he is either working in his father's vacuum cleaner repair shop
or composing music and busking in the streets of dublin to practice his material
girl is from the czeck republic caring for her daughter and mother and also coping with a broken relationship
she observes him late one night when he is in musical self-indulgent mode
performing one of his own compositions that he dare not play during the day
when the punters are paying and expecting to hear at least something they recognise
she has a broken vacuum cleaner that he offers to repair
and in several funny scenes the vacuum cleaner trails the pair around the dublin streets
in a way reminding us of their connection until a more common bond kicks in
it turns out that girl is also a capable musician in piano player and singer
and it doesn't take too long before their shared love of music comes to the fore
there's a beautiful scene where they are singing and playing together in the local music shop
it is the first duet together and it actually comes across genuinely as totally unrehearsed
we are with boy as he recognises her talent both on the piano and singing
where their common love of music points to the possibility of a deeper love
and from then on we are with them as they explore this possibility
i'm not sure about girl but boy is in real life an accomplished musician
being the lead singer/songwriter for irish group the frames who are championed by bob dylan
so the material that is presented in this film is first rate
and the many times the characters are in song mode are not at all the usual cloying musical afterthoughts
the main part of the film is spent in a studio as the band he has cobbled together record a set of demo songs
and by the end of the weekend all involved including boy/girl have formed some strong bonds
but the love remains unrequited and not even acknowledged though we know it is there
the end comes naturally though not as expected and leaves us wanting more
for we've been taken on (insert irish accent here) a musical journey
that has been satisfying, believable and heart-warming
i heard someone mention on the way out is was like a folky version of the commitments
but i think he might have missed the point as it is more a love story than a musical hoot
though the music is very good and obviously original
judging by the song credits seen at the end of the film
i too was tempted to go next door and buy the soundtrack
but decided first i'm going to find out more about the frames
once - a lovely piece of work