Once Upon a Musical

There seems to be a general feeling that movie musicals are an old fashioned genre of the past. Most these days feel the need for some sort of apologetic hook to explain why characters are bursting into song-like making the songs in "Chicago" just Roxy's prison daydreams for example. The other way to go is completely, winkingly overboard so that the overboardedness becomes the point, like "Moulin Rouge".

A completely different philosophy is on display in the new Irish movie "Once"-make your protaganists musicians and the music will be a natural way for them to communicate. A small story about how meeting the right person at the right time can change everything, I thought "Once" a real charmer. The performances by Glen Hansard (lead singer of Ireland's other big band, The Frames) and Marketa Irglova are awkwardly natural and endearing. But, sorry if I am spoiling anything, the viewers' enjoyment of this movie might depend on their movie romance preference- requited or unrequited? I vote for the latter myself and I think "Casablanca" and "Gone With the Wind" will back me up on that. Regardless, anyone looking for a break from SUMMER BLOCKBUSTER SEASON will find ready relief in "Once".


A happy side effect of "Once" for me was a lovely dream the night I watched it. I don't often remember dreams and when I do they're usually bad so a good one is a treat anyway but this one had a guest star. Perhaps inspired by the bus scene in the movie, in my dream my author crush and I were regulars on the same route-he was muscle for the local heavy-who had sort of become bus friends. It was interesting in that I recogized and was glad to see him as himself but also acknowledged that he was playing a role and, in fact, remember marveling what a good actor he was. I'm not sure why my unconscious served that up and what it means exactly but it made for a nice waking and an even more positive feeling about "Once".