Once

Update: 02/24/2008.

Just watched the Oscars and saw Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova accept the Oscar for best song. I am thoroughly delighted. Fair dues to everyone involved in the movie and especially Glen and Marketa.

Watching the trailer for the movie Once is moving to my emotions in both a positive and negative way. I am so happy to see such an achievement in film come out from my home country. Its a film that tells a compelling story  and is accompanied by amazing music.  At the same time I can see so much of the Ireland that I miss (people, places, feelings, characteristics,accents) in the movie that it amplifies my homesickness

I read about Once in the NYTimes this weekend, and the story behind the making of it is pretty cool, almost like it was fate to get these people together to make the movie. Here is some of what David Browne had to say.
"...tells the story of a busker... who meets a young Eastern European pianist ...on the streets of Dublin. The two become friends and collaborators; although each is in the midst of a troubled relationship, they also become potential lovers. As the two characters rehearse and record the busker’s songs, the musical performances are woven into the narrative; instead of being jarring set pieces, they’re part of the plot."

The music was written by Glen Hansard and Damien Rice for the movie and are performed by the leading characters to tell their story. The sounds had been somewhat captured previosuly by The Swell Season who are made up of Hansard (him of the Frames, as mentioned on CubikMusik before), Marketa Irglova (a Czech pianist), Marja Tuhkanen and Bertrand Galen and they made hauntingly beautiful music.

Falling Slowly is one such tune that can be heard in the trailer:

I am also posting this tune here. Truly beautiful.

Download 01_falling_slowly.mp3

Please do try and get to see this movie-it does look like a great one.
There are some free screenings happening over the next few days in LA, NY, San Diego and Seattle. RSVP here.

Buy The Swell Season Album on Amazon or emusic

Cheers,
Cubik

Comments

[white iphone 4]

Oh mon Dieu, vous êtes une personne génie et un bon photographe i comme votre grace images.

[nothing upstairs]

I'm an Irish film critic and have posted a review of Once over at my blog: great to see so many people around the world respond to a film with such heart and spirit.

http://maguiresmovies.blogspot.com/2007/03/once-in-lifetime.html