Once (2007 film)

“Once” is, simply, magical. Made on a budget of roughly $150,000, this romantic musical about two Irish folk meeting at disparate points in their lives (she’s roughly half his age) grabbed my attention from the start and didn’t let up for its eighty-six minutes. Part of that is the documentary-like direction that makes this feel like I’m actually watching two people fall in love (the leads eventually dated), but most of it comes from the soundtrack—“Falling Slowly”’s Academy Award speaks for itself, but I think I prefer “Mind’s Made Up”. An underrated gem from a great year for film.

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