Find us a movie that mixes romance and musicians and you've got two happy viewers (me: romance, JB: music). I found the movie ONCE back in 2006, while browsing the aisles of our local movie shop. I saw a girl, a guy, and a guitar. BINGO, that'll do. I brought it home.
Oh Lordy, did I ever love that film. It's everything Irish: the people, the lilt, the melancholy tunes. All things that make my heart swell. And the chemistry in this film was beautiful. I played the songs on that soundtrack til the tracks were worn right down.
When I found out the musicians had formed a band called The Swell Season, I went ahead and wore the tracks out on those albums too.
If you appreciated ONCE, and admire Marketa and Glen, you MUST find the newly released music documentary The Swell Season. I couldn't have been happier when I stumbled upon it a few weeks ago.
When I watched it, my happiness became something that's hard to describe. It will move you. You will have no choice but to hold your breath and take it all in. All of it: the stunning cinematography, the intimacy, the brilliant editing, the vulnerability. And the music. The heart wrenching music.
I can't say it better than the LA Times reviewer did: "Extraordinary documentary.....so natural, you feel as if you've stumbled into the room by accident."
I can say this; once you find yourself in that room, you'll never want to leave.
