I am so incredibly pleased that the song Falling Slowly from the movie Once won the Oscar for best song. The Oscar show, which is all too often so commercial, found some heart last night. Twice in fact. The song's female singer/pianist Marketa Irglova of the duo The Swell Season was cut off from giving an acceptance speech. I pleaded outload, "They have to bring her back...someone should give up their time to her...let her speak instead of showing another silly montage. Pleeeeeease." My partner Richie says he continues to be stunned by my psychic directoral powers over the television. Ha! They brought her back out!
It's been almost two months now since I spent three and a half hours (partly due to my computer still being very buggy) writing a post all about the film ONCE. When I finished writing the post and clicked "preview" the whole thing disappeared. I haven't been able to return to posting til now.
I can't say enough about this sweet story. Everything about it really does inspire hope; the music, the $100,000 budget, the use of handycams and non-actors (Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova), the writing -- an archetypal story of love and longing and second chances -- and the directing (John Carney), all made in three weeks on location in and around Dublin, Ireland (without permits!). Real people getting together and making real art. That's why it's a film that moves me like no other in a very long time. It's very real and raw.
P.S. Bassist Alaistair Foley and I share the same surname :)
Congratulations to all involved in the process of making such a fulfilling and simply lovely piece of work.
"Raise your hopeful voice...you have a choice...you make it now"
