Once (2006)

User Rating:

8.1/10   

Director:

John Carney

Writer:

John Carney (writer)

Release Date:

23 March 2007 (Ireland)

Genre:

Drama | Music | Romance

Tagline:

How often do you find the right person?

Plot:

A modern-day musical about a busker and an immigrant and their eventful week in Dublin, as they write, rehearse and record songs that tell their love story.

Plot Keywords:

Flower Seller | Father Son Relationship | Sound Engineer | House Cleaning | Dinner

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 14 wins & 18 nominations

Cast

Glen Hansard	...	Guy
Markéta Irglová	...	Girl (as Marketa Irglova)
Hugh Walsh	...	Timmy Drummer
Gerard Hendrick	...	Lead Guitarist (as Gerry Hendrick)
Alaistair Foley	...	Bassist
Geoff Minogue	...	Eamon
Bill Hodnett	...	Guy's Dad
Danuse Ktrestova	...	Girl's Mother
Darren Healy	...	Heroin Addict
Mal Whyte	...	Bill
Marcella Plunkett	...	Ex Girlfriend
Niall Cleary	...	Bob
Wiltold Owski	...	Man watching TV
Krzysztos Tlotka	...	Man watching TV
Tomek Glowacki	...	Man watching TV
Attila Kouvacs	...	Man watching TV
Sean Miller	...	Bank Manager (as Sean Millar)
Pat McGrath	...	Drunk
Praghosa	...	Hari Krishna
Kate Haugh	...	Baby
Senan Haugh	...	Husband
Catherine Hansard	...	Singer at party
Pete Short	...	Singer at party
Fergus O'Farrell	...	Singer at Party
Bob Hoban	...	Shop Assistant Bogarts
Martina Akindojctimi	...	Person on Stoop
Ruslan Mannanu	...	Person on Stoop
Francis Usanga	...	Person on Stoop
Prince Tylot Khumaho	...	Person on Stoop
Joe Adebe	...	Person on Stoop
Bernard Gibsenen	...	Shop Assistant
Paul Clarke	...	Shop Assistant
Maire Walsh	...	Woman on Bus
Dave Cleary	...	Host at Party
Keith Byrne	...	Guy in Piano Shop

Directed by
John Carney

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
John Carney		writer

Produced by
David Collins	....	executive producer
Martina Niland	....	producer

Original Music by
Glen Hansard
Markéta Irglová

Cinematography by
Tim Fleming		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Paul Mullen

Casting by
Maureen Hughes

Production Design by
Tamara Conboy

Art Direction by
Riad Karin		(as Riad Karim)

Costume Design by
Tiziana Corvisieri

Makeup Department
Barbara Conway	....	chief makeup artist
Patricia Flood	....	makeup artist: additional pick-up shots
Conor McAllister	....	chief hair stylist (as Conor McAlistar)

Production Management
Jim Duggan	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
John Burns	....	first assistant director
Cathriona Glynn	....	trainee assistant director (as Caitriona Glynn)
Adrienne Greenhalgh	....	second assistant director: additional pick-ups
Nic Jay	....	trainee assistant director: additional pick-ups
Gail Munley	....	first assistant director: additional pick-ups
John O'Donoghue	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Anthony Nugent	....	stand-by props

Sound Department
Niall Brady	....	supervising sound editor
Niall Brady	....	supervising sound editor: post-production
Pat Doyle	....	sound mixer: additional pick up
Paul Emerson	....	sound mixer: additional pick up
Michelle Fingleton	....	sound editor: post-production
Rob Flanagan	....	sound mixer (as Robert Flanagan)
Ken Galvin	....	dubbing mixer: post-production
Ken Galvin	....	sound re-recording mixer
Paul Naughton	....	boom operator

Visual Effects by
Daniel Tomlinson	....	digital lab operator

Camera and Electrical Department
John Carney	....	camera operator
David Cleary	....	still photographer
Ron Coe	....	camera operator
Tanya Doyle	....	camera assistant
Tim Fleming	....	camera operator
Paul Tsan	....	crane operator
Mark Waldron	....	director of photography: additional pick up

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Una Powell	....	wardrobe supervisor (as Una Towell)

Editorial Department
Gary Curran	....	digital intermediate colorist
Warren Dowling	....	digital intermediate finishing artist
Simon Thornton	....	digital intermediate finishing assistant
Simon Thornton	....	on-line assistant

Music Department
David Donohue	....	music consultant

Transportation Department
Mark Alvey	....	driver: minibus
Fiacra Gaffney	....	transportation captain (as Fiacre Gaffney)

Other crew
Sophie Bataille	....	press attache: France
Peggy Brazil	....	script supervisor
Yvonne Burke	....	production coordinator
Mark Byrne	....	legal advisor
Con Cremins	....	production accountant
Steven Davenport	....	location manager
Cathy Griffin	....	extras coordinator
James Hickey	....	legal advisor: post-production
Laura Mannier	....	press attache: France
Holly Ní Chiardha	....	production executive: Samson Films
Evelyn O'Neill	....	assistant location manager
Kevin Phelan	....	digital transfer supervisor
Lindsay Rowland	....	production administrator: Samson Films
Neal Rowland	....	development executive: Samson Films
Steven Short	....	electronic press kit

Thanks
Karina Finegan Alves	....	special thanks
Alan Conboy	....	special thanks
Noemi Ferrer	....	special thanks
Ed Guiney	....	special thanks
Marina Guinness	....	special thanks
Frances Knott	....	special thanks
Claire Leadbitter	....	special thanks
Adam Lynch	....	thanks
Maggie Mitchell	....	special thanks
Simon Perry	....	special thanks
Damien Rice	....	special thanks
Katerina Sterbova	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Bórd Scannán na hÉireann
• Radio Telefís Éireann (RTE) (in association with)
• Samson Films
• Summit Entertainment

Distributors

• Buena Vista International (2007) (Ireland) (theatrical)
• Fox Searchlight Pictures (2007) (USA) (theatrical)
• Icon Film Distribution (2007) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Paradiso Entertainment (2007) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• JinJin Pictures (2007) (South Korea) (theatrical)
• Icon Film Distribution (2007) (UK) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Ascot Elite Entertainment Group (2008) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Avalon Productions (2007) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Bontonfilm (2007) (Czech Republic) (theatrical)
• Bórd Scannán na hÉireann (2006) (Ireland) (all media)
• Cinema Mondo (2008) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Fox Searchlight Pictures (2007) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Golden Scene (2008) (Hong Kong) (theatrical)
• Kinowelt Filmverleih (2008) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Ledafilms (2008) (Mexico) (TV)
• Odeon (2007) (Greece) (all media)
• Paradiso Home Entertainment (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• SND (2007) (France) (theatrical)
• Showgate (2007) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Tatrafilm (2008) (Slovakia) (theatrical)
• West Video (2008) (Russia) (all media)

Other Companies

• Columbia Records  soundtrack
• Dolby Laboratories  sound mix
• Great Western Films  camera rental
• Initial Event  publicity: France
• Lip Sync Post  digital transfer
• Media Insurance Brokers  insurance
• Production Depot  lighting
• Screen Scene  post-production facilities
• Sony BMG Music Entertaintment  soundtrack: Germany
• Sony Music Soundtrax  soundtrack
• Summit Entertainment  worldwide sales
• TV & Film Services  walkie talkies

MPAA:

Rated R for language.

Runtime:

85 min

Country:

Ireland

Language:

English | Czech

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Ireland:15A | USA:R | UK:15 | Germany:o.Al. | South Korea:All | Netherlands:AL | Singapore:NC-16 | Czech Republic:U | New Zealand:M | Hong Kong:IIB | Brazil:12 | Sweden:Btl | Finland:S | Malaysia:U

Filming Locations:

Dublin Airport, Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland

Company:

Bórd Scannán na hÉireann

Trivia:

The featured motorcycle is a 1966 650cc Triumph 6T Thunderbird, the same model as Marlon Brando's motorcycle in The Wild One (1953).

Goofs:

Continuity: When the Guy is in the Girl’s apartment having dinner and the other tenants come in to watch TV, there is a moment when the chair where the Guy is sitting is visible with out him in it. In the next shot of the seat, he is back in the seat eating again.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Heroin Addict: Fuckin' deadly you are, man.
Guy: Don't fucking... don't fucking go near that case.
Heroin Addict: What? I'm just tying me laces, man.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Siskel & Ebert & the Movies: The Best of 2007" (2007)

Soundtrack:

If You Want Me

A touching and honest film

I own a movie theater on Cape Cod and recently saw this film on two occasions at the New Directors Film Festival in NYC. I met John Carney ten years ago at the Golway Film Festival where I was part of a team which was reviewing film projects. John had a five minute clip of a feature he was working on "November Afternoon". I stayed in touch until he finished the film. He sent me a tape it just blew me away. "Once" like "November Afternoon" is a unique film experience. The low budget feel fits the story and the music blew me away. He captures a small slice of Dublin Life, spent the summer there in 69, that seems so real and honest. Glen and Marketa bring great strength to this story and a realism that is seldom seen in American Cinema. If you want to get in the mood for this movie then get a copy of Glen and Marketa CD "The Swell Season" five of the songs are in the movie.