'Once' again

Through the strums of a broken-down acoustic guitar and chords from a baby-grand piano, the independently released feature "Once" took forth the opportunity to distance itself from the stereotypical musical film. \nGranted, this musical production never resembles other Broadway smashes such as "Rent" or "Phantom of the Opera," but the simplistic songs match its bland plot to strike a chord with anyone truly seeking a way to procrastinate in any point of the day.\nFor the sake of repetition, the plot that drives this film into action is pretty simple and, yes, boring. A struggling Irish musician moves back in with his aging father to collect himself and his personal ambitions. His world collides with a similar female protagonist who, aside from a flower-selling career, must keep her family together by raising her newborn daughter and aiding her aging mother. Both characters meet and help each other to inspire what's best in their lives through the music that they create.\nWhat lets "Once" stand alone on its own pedestal is its perception of the story through a home-video lens. No, there are no establishing shots or beautiful cinematography setting up the whole scene before the film actually begins. Instead, Carney dives the film into the protagonists' ongoing struggles not only as musicians but also as human beings. \nThe extras on the DVD prove to describe fully the artistic vision behind the actual film. Two commentaries are provided from either writer/director John Carney or actors/musicians Glen Hansard (Guy) and Marketa Irglova (Girl) as well as a rather comical prospective on one of the songs in the film "Fixer Sucker Guy." \nThe true gems of the bonus features, though, lay embedded in the making-of featurette and a look inside the two main protagonists of the story. Both provide great behind-the-scenes detail toward specific decisions on certain scenes from the film and an excellent wide perspective of the story and music as a whole ranging from its raw beginnings to its humbling end. \n"Once" supplies the often casual and yet overused coming-of-age plotline to tell the story of struggles and life after heartbreak. \nWhat seems to catapult this movie from an 86-minute snooze-fest to satisfying entertainment is the unassuming combination of music and plot. It's easy to believe the story actually occurred in life, and that's what makes "Once" worth watching more than just one time.