Well, since I'm a lazy sod, I only watched Once. But, I promise, I will watch You Can Count on Me tomorrow.
I absolutely love Once. It's my new favorite movie. Thank you Jess for making me finally see this movie. It's so simple, and beautiful, and heartfelt. Beautiful.
The thing I loved most about it was that it was shot with handheld digital cameras. I think that if it would of been shot with professional cameras, either the state of the art digital or film camera it would of lost some of it's heart.
These characters are going through an interesting part of their respected relationships, and the rawness of the footage matches their raw emotions. I agree with the actors not being actors, it added to the realism. They use music as their release, full on release of pent up emotions. The grittiness matched the reality of their situation. You were able to connect with them as characters and fell in love with their journey. It was personal.
Wow, hows that for film school talk.
The music alone was brilliant. I have to get the soundtrack. I pretty much spent every song with tears in my eyes. My eyes really became sweaty when they played the theme song in the music store towards the beginning. I love that song. It's so powerful and tugs on so many strings, whether you relate or not. There's no other way to describe it than beautiful. You forget that it is a musical when you're watching it. The music, again Jessica I agree, is so well worked into the story that you don't think you are watching a musical.
Definitely one of those movies that leaves you breathless.
I chose Once for the two of you to watch because it really is one of my favorite movies. I saw it at the theater with a friend because she was really into Irish musicians at the time. I wasn't too excited about it, but went anyway. I fell in love with it.
Ever since then I try to get all of my friends to watch it. Funny thing is, Michael didn't want to watch it for years. Yes, years - because it was a musical. Finally, since I gave a copy to his mother and recommended to one of his friends, he caved. He actually loved it.
Ok, so these are some of the reasons I love this movie. Like you said, Lisa, it's very simple and I love the way it's shot. I love that the actors were not actors at all. Made it all the more real for me. Simple story, but very easy to relate to. I think it's awesome the way the music is integrated into this story. Obviously a musical, but not obvious when you're watching. It is so ingrained in the story it just seems to work. No random, awkward, bursts into song. Plus, this music is not necessarily what I would listen to, but I quickly became a huge fan. It's haunting. And yes, I do have the soundtrack, Lisa.
Jessica, your story about Michael's reluctance to see this movie reminds me of the time I attempted to watch "Romance & Cigarettes" with Jim. We were ten minutes in when I had to say, "oh, by the way, this is a musical." He was all, "whaaaaaa? That's it, I'm done."
I loved "Once"!!! I'd been wanting to see it for so long, but just kept neglecting to do so. I was super happy that Jessica assigned it!
I absolutely agree with the description of "simple," and how it was ultimately so much more. And yes! It IS a musical, even though it doesn't necessarily appear to be.
I, too, liked the hand-held camera aspect, as well as the non-professional-actor thing. And while I did love the music during the movie, I don't know that I'd want to listen to it on my iPod or anything (with the exception of the main song). But I think that says a lot as far as how into the music I was while watching. If that makes any sense.
My very favorite thing about this movie has to do with the connection that was formed between the two main characters (I also love that they weren't given actual names). I am such a sucker for movies that focus on interpersonal relationships, especially when they are based on the mutual love of one specific thing (in this case, music).
And I was so happy that the guy and the girl didn't end up together all happily-ever-after. It's true that I kinda wanted them to, but that's not what this movie was about.
I cried at the end, specifically when the girl was shown playing the piano that the guy bought for her. Not just because he bought it for her, but because her estranged husband, with their daughter in his arms, kissed her on the forehead while she played. Remember how she said, in the recording studio, that he didn't like the song she wrote for him? That little moment of him enjoying her play the piano said so much to me. It made me feel like they were trying, that she was getting a second chance to make it work with him. I just really loved how the two main characters went their separate ways, because they both had other people to chase, and how their time together taught them how to search for what they needed to search for.
OK, so I totally suck at this! I'm not sure I'm explaining very well all that I want to explain. So I guess I'll stop now and maybe try again later.
A funny side note. During several points in the film, I kept having flashes to what would happen in a Hollywood production, and then being so happy that it wasn't. Like with the motorcycle ride, they'd either get into an accident or something would happen to the bike and his dad would get pissed, or she would lose her job because she was late. And at the studio, when the sound guy was really impressed with what he heard, right after making fun of it; and I thought that he would call someone big and mighty and they would have a deal.
I love the simplicity of the story. The chance encounter of these two people, whose lives are changed because of it, and they probably won't ever see each other again. It makes your heart burst!
Trivia. When he asks her in Czech if she loves her husband and she replies, but you don't know what she says. She says that No, she love him (meaning the guy). Tear!
And yes, the moment with her playing the piano, with the room full of the other occupants and her husband and daughter, tears.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWell, since I'm a lazy sod, I only watched Once. But, I promise, I will watch You Can Count on Me tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love Once. It's my new favorite movie. Thank you Jess for making me finally see this movie. It's so simple, and beautiful, and heartfelt. Beautiful.
The thing I loved most about it was that it was shot with handheld digital cameras. I think that if it would of been shot with professional cameras, either the state of the art digital or film camera it would of lost some of it's heart.
These characters are going through an interesting part of their respected relationships, and the rawness of the footage matches their raw emotions. I agree with the actors not being actors, it added to the realism.
They use music as their release, full on release of pent up emotions. The grittiness matched the reality of their situation. You were able to connect with them as characters and fell in love with their journey. It was personal.
Wow, hows that for film school talk.
The music alone was brilliant. I have to get the soundtrack.
I pretty much spent every song with tears in my eyes. My eyes really became sweaty when they played the theme song in the music store towards the beginning. I love that song. It's so powerful and tugs on so many strings, whether you relate or not. There's no other way to describe it than beautiful. You forget that it is a musical when you're watching it. The music, again Jessica I agree, is so well worked into the story that you don't think you are watching a musical.
Definitely one of those movies that leaves you breathless.
I chose Once for the two of you to watch because it really is one of my favorite movies. I saw it at the theater with a friend because she was really into Irish musicians at the time. I wasn't too excited about it, but went anyway. I fell in love with it.
ReplyDeleteEver since then I try to get all of my friends to watch it. Funny thing is, Michael didn't want to watch it for years. Yes, years - because it was a musical. Finally, since I gave a copy to his mother and recommended to one of his friends, he caved. He actually loved it.
Ok, so these are some of the reasons I love this movie. Like you said, Lisa, it's very simple and I love the way it's shot. I love that the actors were not actors at all. Made it all the more real for me. Simple story, but very easy to relate to. I think it's awesome the way the music is integrated into this story. Obviously a musical, but not obvious when you're watching. It is so ingrained in the story it just seems to work. No random, awkward, bursts into song. Plus, this music is not necessarily what I would listen to, but I quickly became a huge fan. It's haunting. And yes, I do have the soundtrack, Lisa.
Jessica, your story about Michael's reluctance to see this movie reminds me of the time I attempted to watch "Romance & Cigarettes" with Jim. We were ten minutes in when I had to say, "oh, by the way, this is a musical." He was all, "whaaaaaa? That's it, I'm done."
ReplyDeleteI loved "Once"!!! I'd been wanting to see it for so long, but just kept neglecting to do so. I was super happy that Jessica assigned it!
I absolutely agree with the description of "simple," and how it was ultimately so much more. And yes! It IS a musical, even though it doesn't necessarily appear to be.
I, too, liked the hand-held camera aspect, as well as the non-professional-actor thing. And while I did love the music during the movie, I don't know that I'd want to listen to it on my iPod or anything (with the exception of the main song). But I think that says a lot as far as how into the music I was while watching. If that makes any sense.
My very favorite thing about this movie has to do with the connection that was formed between the two main characters (I also love that they weren't given actual names). I am such a sucker for movies that focus on interpersonal relationships, especially when they are based on the mutual love of one specific thing (in this case, music).
And I was so happy that the guy and the girl didn't end up together all happily-ever-after. It's true that I kinda wanted them to, but that's not what this movie was about.
I cried at the end, specifically when the girl was shown playing the piano that the guy bought for her. Not just because he bought it for her, but because her estranged husband, with their daughter in his arms, kissed her on the forehead while she played. Remember how she said, in the recording studio, that he didn't like the song she wrote for him? That little moment of him enjoying her play the piano said so much to me. It made me feel like they were trying, that she was getting a second chance to make it work with him. I just really loved how the two main characters went their separate ways, because they both had other people to chase, and how their time together taught them how to search for what they needed to search for.
OK, so I totally suck at this! I'm not sure I'm explaining very well all that I want to explain. So I guess I'll stop now and maybe try again later.
A funny side note. During several points in the film, I kept having flashes to what would happen in a Hollywood production, and then being so happy that it wasn't.
ReplyDeleteLike with the motorcycle ride, they'd either get into an accident or something would happen to the bike and his dad would get pissed, or she would lose her job because she was late.
And at the studio, when the sound guy was really impressed with what he heard, right after making fun of it; and I thought that he would call someone big and mighty and they would have a deal.
I love the simplicity of the story.
The chance encounter of these two people, whose lives are changed because of it, and they probably won't ever see each other again. It makes your heart burst!
Trivia. When he asks her in Czech if she loves her husband and she replies, but you don't know what she says. She says that No, she love him (meaning the guy). Tear!
And yes, the moment with her playing the piano, with the room full of the other occupants and her husband and daughter, tears.