ONCE (2006)

Every once in a while a small low-key film, possibly foreign, sneaks into your life and takes your breath away. On this Valentine's Day, another in which I have no significant other, I picked up the Irish movie ONCE (2006), written and directed by John Carney, and was simply blown away, captured by its quiet strength, elegant simplicity, melancholy undertones, and its homage to the pain and inspiration that comes from love, especially that of music. A broken-hearted Irish guitar-playing busker (played beautifully by Glen Hansard) finds attaction and inspiration from a single-mom immigrant Czech (also well acted by Marketa Irglova), and they form a quick partnership that sets both on a new path. The music (and I must get this soundtrack) is startlelingly beautiful and each song seems to be placed aptly in the best spot. So much of this tale is about how potent and communicative lyrics can be for those who want to hear them. The last movie from this part of the world to affect me the same way was the grand BILLY ELLIOT. Both are about following your dreams, finding love in the arts, and perservering. I can't imagine anyone going away from this movie without liking it.

ECLIPSE

No doubt a few movie watchers stumbled accidentally upon the Irish movie The Eclipse, in expectation of seeing romantic vampires and teenaged angst, but they would have been misled. Hopefully though, they stayed with the film, which does have a supernatural element, because it is a wonderful production with fine acting and beautiful scenery. Although partly a ghost story, and even a romance, as well as a commentary on literary festivals and boorish writers, it is primarily about grief and letting go. I was a bit confused about one ghost, or I guess more correctly a pre-ghost, of a elderly man dealing with the loss of his daughter from cancer, bitterness at his lot in life, and anger at his son-in-law. Ciaran Hinds is awesome as the widower, dealing with his two children after the loss of his loved wife, as he also continues his teaching duties and his volunteer work at the annual literary festival, where he comes in contact with a beautiful writer of stories about ghosts just as he starts having visitations. Added into the mix is her being stalked by a smitten, pretentious, drunkard (ugly American?) brutish author (played well by Aiden Quinn). There are beautiful shots of Ireland. Although it is rated R, for language and some disturbing scenes, older teens could certainly handle it. The banshee cries are unnerving, however. I heartily recommend the movie, if you don't mind a few scary parts.