I don’t like movie reviews – they’re best seen with as few preconceptions as possible. So don’t read this until you’ve seen Once, which you must.

Warning: SPOILERS!

I’ve described Once as a low-budget musical, but it’s way more than that. Most of the music is about people you don’t see. The raw emotion in Glen’s songs are about betrayal and loss of his girl friend that happens before the movie begins. Similarly, we don’t see Marketa’s husband until the ending montage.

This makes the movie mostly about the music as an expression of emotion and connection. Also, it’s a romance but not fulfilled in the obvious way. Glen goes to his girlfriend, and Marketa’s husband goes back. I’m referring to characters by the actors names because they’re not named in the film. Like Lost in Translation, there’s something wonderful about romance that isn’t ground down by getting together and trying to live happily ever after as the credits roll. A contrast is drawn between romance and relationships rarely seen in movies.

I also liked seeing a movie devoid of cynicism about music or the industry. The banker pulls out his guitar and sings after hearing Glen’s tape. The recording engineer quickly gets on board once things get rolling. Glen’s dad says it’s “brilliant” after hearing Glen’s work, and says that he’s proud of him. Music isn’t a prop or plot device to serve the story, it IS the story.