ONCE - An Irish Movie/Musical about 'US'?on NPR

Subject: RE: ONCE - An Irish Movie/Musical about 'US'?on NPR
From: Declan
Date: 02 May 08 - 01:04 PM

A slighht quibble with the review - "The Frames" were around as a band before Glen was casted in the Commitments.

I agree about not over-analysing things, but to me the opening scene is made by the fact that the junkie is his brother - doesn't make a lot of sense otherwise.

Subject: RE: ONCE - An Irish Movie/Musical about 'US'?on NPR
From: PoppaGator
Date: 02 May 08 - 03:19 PM

Sorry if I've over-analyzed ~ it's only because I enjoy this film so much that I've watched it over and over, with and without the director's commentary, and thought so much about how it came to be and about why the various personalities ~ not only the fictional characters, but the real people behind them as well ~ acted and reacted as they did.

All that extra thinking and discussion has not diminished my enjoyment in the least.

Part of my intense interest is undoubtedly due to the fact that I experienced a similar (and quite unforgettable) incident in my own life. I spent several years, in my early-to-mid 20s, as a full-time street performer. On one memorable occasion, an attractive and fabulously talented young girl carrying a guitar case walked up, took out her instrument, joined right in without a moment's hesitation, and we immediately began harmoinizing as though we'd known each other for years. And as if that weren't enough, a newspaper reporter happened along just in time to document the incident for the next day's paper.

It's the only time in my life that meeting a girl made the news. It certainly seemed that Fate was taking my life in a new direction.

Like the characters in "Once," we eventually learned that instant musical compatibility does NOT necessariy translate to a close (or even satisfactory) relationship on any other level. Didn't learn that as quickly and easily as The Guy and The Girl in the film, unfortunately ~ but it eventually became quite clear that, just because "we can make beautiful music together," we won't necessarily be able to do so in the romantically metaphorical sense.

Not that I have any regrets, these many year later. As things turned out, I've been happily married (to someone else of course) for 35 years; also, I long ago gave up my ambition to became a full-time professional musician. Had things gone differently, I might well have become a full-time backup-singing bass player, but one with a string of divorces, no kids or grandkids, and a nasty drug habit or two.

Seeing the film "Once" certainly brought back memories, and prompted me to go to the library, search through the microfilm archives, make myself a copy of that long-ago newspaper article, scan it into my computer, and touch up the severely-scratched image enough to render it readable.

Subject: RE: ONCE - An Irish Movie/Musical about 'US'?on NPR
From: katlaughing
Date: 02 May 08 - 03:56 PM

I prefer to believe Glen and Marketa's "version" of things in the NPR interview for which I posted a link. Any of you listen to it, too?

Subject: RE: ONCE - An Irish Movie/Musical about 'US'?on NPR
From: PoppaGator
Date: 02 May 08 - 05:19 PM

Haven't listened yet ~ hope it's still there when I get a chance.

Subject: RE: ONCE - An Irish Movie/Musical about 'US'?on N
From: Charley Noble
Date: 02 May 08 - 08:33 PM

Declan and PoppaGator-

The fact that some of us can identify with parts of this film and its imperfect characters is what intrigues me. I'm not sure if I've had the ultimate vacuum cleaner repair experience but I've come close to it!

My best blues girl hooked up with my young poet mentor who later became a banker and I assume they've lived happily ever after!

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: ONCE - An Irish Movie/Musical about 'US'?on NPR
From: katlaughing
Date: 02 May 08 - 10:17 PM

Poppagator, it's still there at the link I posted earlier. IT really is a fun interview. Here's the blurb from npr:

May 1, 2008 - Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova won an Oscar for their song "Falling Slowly," from the 2007 film Once. Written and directed by John Carney, Hansard's onetime bandmate, it's a movie about two musicians in Dublin, writing songs about past romances and exploring the love growing between them.

It was art imitating life, and perhaps the other way around: Hansard, who plays a Dublin street busker, spent years on the city's streets in real life, earning his keep with his the same battered guitar he plays in the film.

And he and the Czech-born Irglova, who plays an immigrant songwriter, found themselves falling in love in much the way their characters do.

It wasn't entirely a surprise: The two had known each other for years, and even their director could see it coming. As Hansard told The Washington Post, "About the third day in, John started predicting that we'd get together. ... He kept joking and calling us his Bogart and Bacall. ... After filming, Fox Searchlight put us in a tour bus together, and it just felt natural. We graduated from a feeling to this."

Hansard, 38, is the frontman for the Irish rock band The Frames, and had acted previously in the 1991 art-house hit The Commitments. Once was the first film for the Czech-born, classically trained Irglova, 20.

In 2006, the same year Once was filmed, the duo released an album under the band name The Swell Season, and they're currently on tour. Once is out now on DVD.

Subject: RE: ONCE - An Irish Movie/Musical about 'US'?on NPR
From: Declan
Date: 27 Jul 08 - 06:52 PM

Refresh.

Someone was looking for a discussion on this movie in another thread.

Subject: RE: ONCE - An Irish Movie/Musical about 'US'?on N
From: Charley Noble
Date: 27 Jul 08 - 07:55 PM

Refresh again!

Subject: RE: ONCE - An Irish Movie/Musical about 'US'?on N
From: Charley Noble
Date: 28 Jul 08 - 08:07 PM

Refreshed again just to prove that mere mortals can find this thread.

CN

Subject: RE: ONCE - An Irish Movie/Musical about 'US'?on N
From: Michael S
Date: 28 Jul 08 - 08:27 PM

Apparently Bob Dylan enjoyed Once so much that he invited Glen Hansard's band The Frames to open for him on an Australian tour. From USA Today in 2007, via Rotten Tomatoes.com: "Dylan apparently dug Once enough to invite Hansard and his band, the Frames, to open for him on his forthcoming Australian tour."

Who knew that curmudgeonly Dylan was such a softie?

Michael Scully
Austin, TX

Subject: RE: ONCE - An Irish Movie/Musical about 'US'?on NPR
From: PoppaGator
Date: 29 Jul 08 - 02:36 PM

In the radio interview referenced above somewhere (which may or may not still be available online), Hansard talks about meeting Dylan in Dublin, in some kind of backstage/post-gig context. I'm fairly sure (although not absolutely positive) that the meeting took place before the filming and release of Once ~ at least, that was my impression and assumption ~ which would mean that Bob had already been aware of Glen and his music and the Frames before seeing the film.

In any event, Glenn relates that he was a bit tongue-tied and didn't know just what to say, but managed to blurt out that for him, the meeting was something like what meeting Woody Guthrie must have been for Dylan, and then the ice was broken and the two were able to converse a bit about Woody and then go on to related subjects...

Subject: RE: ONCE - An Irish Movie/Musical about 'US'?on NPR
From: irishenglish
Date: 30 Jul 08 - 02:13 PM

Don't know how I missed this thread. Despite what Glen Hansard may think about his role on The Commitments,there is something I thought upon watching Once. The end of The Commitments has a "what happened to them now segment where Outspan and Meatman Scully are shown busking on Grafton Street. I like to think that Hansard's character in Once, is the same guy, still busking on Grafton Street, much more matured, a much better musician and songwriter, etc, still playing his guitar. I know its not the case, but that's the way I like to think of it in my mind.

Subject: RE: ONCE - An Irish Movie/Musical about 'US'?on NPR
From: Declan
Date: 06 Jun 09 - 10:38 AM

I recorded Once from the TV recently and can confirm that the dialogue in the opening scene is as we reported it earlier in this thread, so the junkie was certainly meant to be his brother.

Incidentally there was a report on Irish TV (RTE) News a couple of nights back about the music room in Waltons, the shop where Glen and Marketa go to practice in the movie. It said that playing "Falling Slowly" was banned in the shop because the staff were so fed up of hearing it.

I heard a similar story a few years back about a guitar shop (I think it was in London) where anyone trying out a guitar by playing the opening bars of Deep Purple's "Smoke on the Water" was thrown out on their ear.

Subject: RE: ONCE - An Irish Movie/Musical about 'US'?on NPR
From: rich-joy
Date: 16 Sep 17 - 02:26 AM

Just came across this YouTube clip of "Falling Slowly" (from the 2007 Irish film, "Once"), and fell in love with the song All Over Again!!

10 years on, and Glen & Marketa still move me, and, I believe it's still being sung in Folk Sessions/Clubs.....

ENJOY!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8mtXwtapX4

Cheers,
R-J


I don't know you
But I want you
All the more for that

Words fall through me
And always fool me
And I can't react

And games that never amount
To more than they're meant
Will play themselves out

Take this sinking boat and point it home
We've still got time
Raise your hopeful voice you have a choice
You'll make it now

Falling slowly
Eyes that know me
And I can't go back
Moods that take me
and erase me
And I'm painted black

You have suffered enough
And warred with yourself
It's time that you won