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Once

Play trailer 2:05 Poster for Once R 2007 1h 26m Romance Musical Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
97% Tomatometer 160 Reviews 91% Popcornmeter 100,000+ Ratings
A vacuum repairman (Glen Hansard) moonlights as a street musician and hopes for his big break. One day a Czech immigrant (Marketa Irglova), who earns a living selling flowers, approaches him with the news that she is also an aspiring singer-songwriter. The pair decide to collaborate, and the songs that they compose reflect the story of their blossoming love.
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Once

Once

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Critics Consensus

A charming, captivating tale of love and music, Once sets the standard for the modern musical. And with Dublin as its backdrop, Once is fun and fresh.

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Critics Reviews

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Steven D. Greydanus Decent Films 10/29/2008
A-
At once delicate and gritty, wistful and deeply satisfying. Go to Full Review
Christopher Orr The New Republic 09/18/2008
In an era when Hollywood has largely lost the ability to distinguish between romance and sex, Once is the rare film that recognizes that love is no less love for being held in check, it is merely a different kind of love. Go to Full Review
Mark Bourne Film.com 12/19/2007
Once doesn't plop its emotions on its characters' sleeves, and it trusts us enough to leave some of the best stuff unstated. In other words, it trusts us to know that half the music lies between the notes. Go to Full Review
Brian Eggert Deep Focus Review Apr 25
3.5/4
One of the most satisfying movies I’ve seen all year. Go to Full Review
Daisy Leigh-Phippard Screen Queens 02/21/2022
In the end, they were both strangers guided by the kindness they showed one another. And I bet youve forgotten what resolution the camera quality is by the end credits. Go to Full Review
Robin Holabird Robin Holabird 08/11/2021
Effectively capturing the world of street musicians, writer-director John Carney hit gold in a story of talented artists seeking the big time in little venues. Wistful romance and memorable music proved flexible enough for a move from film to stage... Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Mark A @RT25688434 2d Soooo wanted to love this...especially after John Carney's Sing Street being such a wonderful film.... The trailer on this one lured me in with high hopes but what ensued was utter disappointment for the following reasons: 1. I didn't care about the main characters. They were droll, uninteresting and void of any reason to care about them. Poor character build on Carney's part here. 2. The music wasn't great. I mean if you're into Irish folky stuff yeah, I guess but it's a huge tumble from the Sing Street soundtrack greatness 3. Unexplained parts for example, the Thin Lizzy buskers who didn't want to do anything but Thin Lizzy astonishingly and without any reason given in the dialogue, end up in the studio recording with the main character. Head scratcher, that one. 3. The movie plodded along and just didn't gain any traction at any point throughout. 4. No chemistry between the main actors. None whatsoever. Really disappointed....and I really, really wanted to love this. See more Marco L @decatur555 6d Once is one of the most beautiful films I have ever seen: small, simple and completely unforgettable. It does not need grand gestures or dramatic manipulation to be deeply moving. Its power comes from the relationship between the two protagonists, from the way they listen to each other, from the silences between them and, above all, from the music. The songs are not decoration; they are the emotional language of the film, the place where everything that cannot be said out loud finally appears. It is tender, sad, intimate and full of truth, with a naturalness that makes it feel almost as if we are watching real life rather than fiction. A perfect film in its own scale, full of heart, music and quiet beauty. An absolute wonder. See more Peter E. @MrAtoz Apr 12 This is a beautiful story about a women and a man who become deeply connected and experience their love for one other through music alone. See more keven q @kevenquinlan Feb 16 Good movie. Great Music. This is not unlike Prince's Purple Rain where it's a bunch of music and a story is loosely composed around it. The laugher is Glen talking about the movie before it was shot and that he wasn't sure he was gonna get the part? In a movie where you sing most of the music? Hahaha- that's some straight-up Hollywood/ L.A. BS if I ever heard it. What, were they gonna have someone lip-sync all of your lyrics? Silly. Anywho, it's a keeper just for the music. See more Nathan T @FieryRavens Dec 7 A rare perfect movie. One could say that ONCE in a lifetime a film like this comes along. Perfect music, a perfect story, and a perfect ending. I could go on and on about how much this movie, and the music, has meant to me and stayed with me. I love it so much! See more Pa T @RT37521722 Nov 13 Didn’t end the way most romances do, but a sweet little film See more Read all reviews
Once

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Movie Info

Synopsis A vacuum repairman (Glen Hansard) moonlights as a street musician and hopes for his big break. One day a Czech immigrant (Marketa Irglova), who earns a living selling flowers, approaches him with the news that she is also an aspiring singer-songwriter. The pair decide to collaborate, and the songs that they compose reflect the story of their blossoming love.
Director
John Carney
Producer
Martina Niland
Screenwriter
John Carney
Distributor
Fox
Production Co
RTE, Samson Films, Summit Entertainment, Irish Film Board
Rating
R (Language)
Genre
Romance, Musical, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
May 16, 2007, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 19, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA)
$9.4M
Runtime
1h 26m