Netflix Hidden Gem of the Month : 'Once' - John Carney

While it seems like the world of American cinema is praising Indiewood movies like Juno, there is one true Indie movie that is gaining momentum in the world of Netflix.

‘Once’ is a film written and directed by John Carney that takes place in Dublin, Ireland. It’s a contemporary musical that’s light on dialogue, but heavy on emotional content driven through music. We follow an unnamed street musician (Glen Hansard) who has a chance meeting with a migrant street hawker (Markéta Irglová). The young girl first appears to be somewhat of a groupie stalker, a role that later switches to the street musician.

The movie follows the two over the course of a week as their relationship grows through the songs they compose, rehearse and eventually record together.

I have to admit, I didn’t know what to expect when I watched ‘Once.’ It’s a movie that could have easily been a soppy romance tale if it was produced with all the financial backing of Hollywood. Through song the film draws you into the lives of these two seemingly random people on the streets of Dublin.

The only time we get an introspective into the actual characters is when the sound recordist is on the phone and calls the group a bunch of odd balls. His sentiment towards the characters is comparable to how the world looks at the unnamed musician - singing for change and struggling to follow his passion. The sound recordist’s brief weekend interaction with the duo, sums up our emotions while watching the film. At first this couple comes off as a pair simple street urchins - the kind you’d find in a New York City subway station singing for money. But their songs color their unbridled romance.

What’s even more surprising is that there are no actual “love” scenes in this movie, though some may call it a “love story.” In my opinion it is more of an emotional story, where the couple’s passion overrides our senses.

‘Once’ is the Buzzfocus.com Netflix Hidden Gem of the Month for January - so be sure to add it to your Queue today! But don’t just take our word for it - Sundance recognized this film in 2007. So, we’re a year late. That’s why it’s the Netflix Gem!