Once

Has anyone else seen this movie? The only word I can think of to describe it is lovely (I'm thesaurused out working on my revisions).

It's billed as a kind of musical, but really it's just a movie with a lot of music in it -- where so much of what's going on, so much of the relationship developing between the two main characters (guy and girl -- never named) happens through songs. But not in an artifical break into song kind of way. They're both musicians. All the singing is organic and natural. It's more like a performance movie, with a story built around it, than a musical.

And the leads are fabulous. Glen Hansard, who plays "the guy" and wrote most of the music, is incredibly talented. I can't believe he's not famous. Perhaps he is in Ireland. And Marketa Irglova, the young Czech actress/singer who plays "the girl" was totally compelling and understated at the same time. So guileless.

This movie won the audience award at Sundance and it's no surprise why. An accessible and, well, lovely film.

Highly recommend this movie.