Critic Reviews

share

Once (2007) Rank 3 Reviews

Expert Review Summary
Movie critics combined give Once (2007) a score of 3.2366 out of 4
based on (118) reviews
Click on the numbers to the right of the graph to see reviews of that rating
Excellent
4
Excellent
(45)
Very Good
3
Very Good
(62)
Good
2
Good
(11)
Fair
1
Fair
(0)
Poor
0
Poor
(0)
Reviews by Score:
Once (2007) scores a combined 3.25 out of 4 stars for Irish Times (Michael Dwyer)Irish Times (Michael Dwyer)
SMALL is beautiful, according to the much-borrowed title of a 1973 collection of essays written by an economist. That claim is just as valid when applied to the micro-budget movie that is Once, a deceptively simple love story that proves disarmingly ...read the complete Once movie review at Irish Times (Michael Dwyer)
Once (2007) scores a combined 3.25 out of 4 stars for KPBS.org (Beth Accomando)KPBS.org (Beth Accomando)
John Carney and Glen Hansard used to play together in an Irish band known as The Frames. Hansard stayed with the band but Carney decided to try his hand at filmmaking. Now the two are working together again in a new film called Once (opening May 26 at ...read the complete Once movie review at KPBS.org (Beth Accomando)
Once (2007) scores a combined 3.20 out of 4 stars for TheMovieChicks.com (Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone)TheMovieChicks.com (Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone)
It's a different kind of movie than your typical summer fare, but it never hits a wrong note and art-house lovers should see it... at least once. ...read the complete Once movie review at TheMovieChicks.com (Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone)
Once (2007) scores a combined 3.20 out of 4 stars for Austin Chronicle (Toddy Burton)Austin Chronicle (Toddy Burton)
Once transcends even its own ambitions, becoming a complex meditation on relationships, Irish culture, and music. ...read the complete Once movie review at Austin Chronicle (Toddy Burton)
Once (2007) scores a combined 3.20 out of 4 stars for Screen It! (Jim Judy)Screen It! (Jim Judy)
It's the answer to our cinematic prayers, not just for a believable musical, but also a terrific movie in general. ...read the complete Once movie review at Screen It! (Jim Judy)
Once (2007) scores a combined 3.20 out of 4 stars for IGN Movies (Scott Collura)IGN Movies (Scott Collura)
Writer-director John Carney, a former musician himself, has constructed a simple story that runs deep with implied character history and motivation. Little of importance is much said in the film, though the soul of the characters is often gleaned through ...read the complete Once movie review at IGN Movies (Scott Collura)
Once (2007) scores a combined 3.20 out of 4 stars for New York Times (A.O. Scott)New York Times (A.O. Scott)
Once makes a persuasive case that the real future of the movie musical may lie not in splashy grandeur but in modesty and understatement. ...read the complete Once movie review at New York Times (A.O. Scott)
Once (2007) scores a combined 3.20 out of 4 stars for About.com (Jurgen Fauth)About.com (Jurgen Fauth)
Once is the genuine article: a winning love story told with simple grace and humanity. ...read the complete Once movie review at About.com (Jurgen Fauth)
Once (2007) scores a combined 3.20 out of 4 stars for Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC) (Ken Hanke)Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC) (Ken Hanke)
While Once doesn't really reinvent anything, it is a marvelous addition to the short list of genuinely good rock musicals. ...read the complete Once movie review at Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC) (Ken Hanke)
Once (2007) scores a combined 3.20 out of 4 stars for Rochester Democrat and Chronicle (Jack Garner)Rochester Democrat and Chronicle (Jack Garner)
Thanks to the ingratiating lead performers and their honest music performances, and the sensitivities of writer-director John Carney, it's a story worth seeing. ...read the complete Once movie review at Rochester Democrat and Chronicle (Jack Garner)
Once (2007) scores a combined 3.20 out of 4 stars for Spirituality and Practice (Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat)Spirituality and Practice (Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat)
A charming and endearing Irish film about two down-and-out individuals who collaborate on a musical project that deeply enriches them both in surprising ways. ...read the complete Once movie review at Spirituality and Practice (Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat)
Once (2007) scores a combined 3.20 out of 4 stars for Antagony & Ecstasy (Tim Brayton)Antagony & Ecstasy (Tim Brayton)
Is it honestly felt? Absolutely. Is it perfect? Only in spots. ...read the complete Once movie review at Antagony & Ecstasy (Tim Brayton)
Once (2007) scores a combined 3.20 out of 4 stars for Providence Journal (Michael Janusonis)Providence Journal (Michael Janusonis)
The captivating Irish musical romance Once will warm all but the stoniest hearts. The film chronicles the yearning mutual attraction between The Guy (an anonymous Dublin street busker played by Glen Hansard of the Frames) and The Girl (a nameless ...read the complete Once movie review at Providence Journal (Michael Janusonis)
Once (2007) scores a combined 3.20 out of 4 stars for Pop Syndicate (Stefan Halley)Pop Syndicate (Stefan Halley)
A beautiful little gem of a movie ...read the complete Once movie review at Pop Syndicate (Stefan Halley)
Once (2007) scores a combined 3.20 out of 4 stars for Arizona Republic (Bill Muller)Arizona Republic (Bill Muller)
Given [director] Carney's roughshod methods, Once never resembles a standard studio offering, which works much to its benefit. Between Carney's unadorned writing and his rustic directing approach, Once always remains grounded in reality. ...read the complete Once movie review at Arizona Republic (Bill Muller)
Once (2007) scores a combined 3.20 out of 4 stars for Jam! Movies (Liz Braun)Jam! Movies (Liz Braun)
This is an unusual and completely engaging movie. ...read the complete Once movie review at Jam! Movies (Liz Braun)
Once (2007) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Metromix.com (Matt Pais)Metromix.com (Matt Pais)
As a story about people with songs coursing through their veins--Julie Andrews notwithstanding-- Once captures the true Sound of Music. ...read the complete Once movie review at Metromix.com (Matt Pais)
Once (2007) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for USA Today (Claudia Puig)USA Today (Claudia Puig)
Once is a winning and engaging portrait of two people's powerful connection through music. ...read the complete Once movie review at USA Today (Claudia Puig)
Once (2007) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Contra Costa Times (Mary F. Pols)Contra Costa Times (Mary F. Pols)
Once is a love story told in songs, a romance between two people just getting to know each other, and the music is completely organic to both their tentative attraction and their backstories as individuals. ...read the complete Once movie review at Contra Costa Times (Mary F. Pols)
Once (2007) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for eFilmCritic.com (Brian Orndorf)eFilmCritic.com (Brian Orndorf)
Carney becomes a little too enamored of the cinematographic limitations, and loses some important scenes to darkness and lousy focus. Call me crazy, but I like to actually see cinematic moments of emotional longing and heartache, not try to squint them in ...read the complete Once movie review at eFilmCritic.com (Brian Orndorf)
Once (2007) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Sun Publications (Chicago, IL) (Josh Larsen)Sun Publications (Chicago, IL) (Josh Larsen)
...a unique, enthralling experience in which song and emotion stand in for dialogue and plot. ...read the complete Once movie review at Sun Publications (Chicago, IL) (Josh Larsen)
Once (2007) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Wall Street Journal (Joe Morgenstern)Wall Street Journal (Joe Morgenstern)
It takes all of 10 seconds for John Carney's "Once" to announce itself as something special. A handsome young street musician in Dublin raises his voice in song, then raises it higher with heart-stopping fervor. When a mysteriously endearing young woman ...read the complete Once movie review at Wall Street Journal (Joe Morgenstern)
Once (2007) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for San Antonio Express-News (Larry Ratliff)San Antonio Express-News (Larry Ratliff)
Once captures the intoxicating one-two punch of loving music and falling in love better than any movie since Tender Mercies and The Buddy Holly Story (1978). ...read the complete Once movie review at San Antonio Express-News (Larry Ratliff)
Once (2007) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Philadelphia Inquirer (Carrie Rickey)Philadelphia Inquirer (Carrie Rickey)
Told with the simplicity of a Chaplin film (more than once I was reminded of City Lights ), Once has the tentative and unpredictable amble of a chance encounter rather than the absolute and overdetermined structure of a Hollywood film. ...read the complete Once movie review at Philadelphia Inquirer (Carrie Rickey)
Once (2007) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Miami Herald (Rene Rodriguez)Miami Herald (Rene Rodriguez)
I can't imagine anyone seeing Once and not instantly falling in love with it. ...read the complete Once movie review at Miami Herald (Rene Rodriguez)
Once (2007) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Los Angeles Daily News (Glenn Whipp)Los Angeles Daily News (Glenn Whipp)
Pragmatically recognizing life's hardships while romantically yearning for something more gives Once a quintessentially Irish flavor, as well as a poignancy that's both hard-edged and heartfelt. ...read the complete Once movie review at Los Angeles Daily News (Glenn Whipp)
Once (2007) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for New York Daily News (Elizabeth Weitzman)New York Daily News (Elizabeth Weitzman)
Once isn't especially complex, but the chemistry between its appealing leads feels deeply true. You'd have to look awfully hard to find such sincerity in a Hollywood romance. ...read the complete Once movie review at New York Daily News (Elizabeth Weitzman)
Once (2007) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Deseret News, Salt Lake City (Jeff Vice)Deseret News, Salt Lake City (Jeff Vice)
Sweet and surprisingly involving, and several of the songs deserve to be hits. ...read the complete Once movie review at Deseret News, Salt Lake City (Jeff Vice)
Once (2007) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Urban Cinefile (Urban Cinefile Critics)Urban Cinefile (Urban Cinefile Critics)
A film driven by music, as distinct from the traditional Hollywood musical structure, Once is a simple yet not simplistic love story which doesn't end as you might expect. If it did, it would be less original and less haunting. The filmmaking is - to me, ...read the complete Once movie review at Urban Cinefile (Urban Cinefile Critics)
Once (2007) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Rolling Stone (Peter Travers)Rolling Stone (Peter Travers)
Cut through the Spidey-Shrek hype and seek it out. You won't be sorry. It's a magical, beguiling wonder. ...read the complete Once movie review at Rolling Stone (Peter Travers)
Once (2007) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for San Francisco Chronicle (Ruthe Stein)San Francisco Chronicle (Ruthe Stein)
Once proves once and for all that imagination trumps big bucks. ...read the complete Once movie review at San Francisco Chronicle (Ruthe Stein)
Once (2007) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for New York Post (Kyle Smith)New York Post (Kyle Smith)
So heartfelt and sparse, so quietly genuine with its dingy digital images -- so not Rent . ...read the complete Once movie review at New York Post (Kyle Smith)
Once (2007) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Talking Pictures (UK) (UK)Talking Pictures (UK) (UK)
The Guy (Glen Hansard, lead singer of The Frames) is a street musician who lives with his father and sings on a mostly empty Grafton Street in Dublin after working his day job repairing vacuum cleaners. Outwardly cheerful, underneath he still pines for ...read the complete Once movie review at Talking Pictures (UK) (UK)
Once (2007) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Newark Star-Ledger (Lisa Rose)Newark Star-Ledger (Lisa Rose)
Elegantly capturing the alchemy of songwriting -- not to mention the alchemy of fleeting romance -- it's a one-of-a-kind movie to enthrall musicians and listeners alike. ...read the complete Once movie review at Newark Star-Ledger (Lisa Rose)
Once (2007) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Scene-Stealers.com (Eric Melin)Scene-Stealers.com (Eric Melin)
Casting musicians rather than actors proves to be a wise choice because their interplay is completely naturalistic. All of the musical interaction is authentic and, by extention, so is their entire relationship. ...read the complete Once movie review at Scene-Stealers.com (Eric Melin)
Once (2007) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Seattle Times (Moira MacDonald)Seattle Times (Moira MacDonald)
Musicals ask us to take a happy leap of faith, to believe in a world in which people express their feelings by bursting into song. With Once , Carney has created that world within our own, and it weaves an irresistible spell. ...read the complete Once movie review at Seattle Times (Moira MacDonald)
Once (2007) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Movie Habit (Matt Anderson)Movie Habit (Matt Anderson)
... this modest little baby's loaded with good ol' Dublin soul. ...read the complete Once movie review at Movie Habit (Matt Anderson)
Once (2007) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Palo Alto Weekly (Jeanne Aufmuth)Palo Alto Weekly (Jeanne Aufmuth)
Unforgettable melody is the foundation of this heartfelt Irish romance that puts a twist on the movie musical. ...read the complete Once movie review at Palo Alto Weekly (Jeanne Aufmuth)
Once (2007) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN) (John Beifuss)Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN) (John Beifuss)
May appeal especially to romantic young people who can develop crushes on the lead characters in tandem with the smittenness that emerges onscreen. ...read the complete Once movie review at Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN) (John Beifuss)
Once (2007) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Groucho Reviews (Peter Canavese)Groucho Reviews (Peter Canavese)
It's a musical courtship--he on guitar, her on piano, and both in vocal harmony. It's also a scruffy cinematic sleeper with which anyone's liable to fall in love. ...read the complete Once movie review at Groucho Reviews (Peter Canavese)
Once (2007) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Premiere Magazine (Ethan Alter)Premiere Magazine (Ethan Alter)
Once may not boast stellar production values or elaborate dance numbers, but in its own scruffy way it captures the spirit of the genre better than any recent Hollywood musical. ...read the complete Once movie review at Premiere Magazine (Ethan Alter)
Once (2007) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for ReelViews (James Berardinelli)ReelViews (James Berardinelli)
The traditional movie musical may not be dead, but it's on life support, a victim of the changing taste of movie-goers. Once is an effort to provide a musical that works for a modern audience by grounding the situation in reality and cutting out the ...read the complete Once movie review at ReelViews (James Berardinelli)
Once (2007) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Minneapolis Star Tribune (Colin Covert)Minneapolis Star Tribune (Colin Covert)
The captivating Irish musical romance Once will warm all but the stoniest hearts. ...read the complete Once movie review at Minneapolis Star Tribune (Colin Covert)
Once (2007) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Duane Dudek)Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Duane Dudek)
A portrait of an intimate musical friendship that becomes a safe harbor for two ships passing in the night. ...read the complete Once movie review at Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Duane Dudek)
Once (2007) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for TV Guide's Movie Guide (Ken Fox)TV Guide's Movie Guide (Ken Fox)
Focusing strictly on stripped-down performances of great music and the charming chemistry between the two leads, it's a perfectly realized yet unassuming movie that deserves to find a big audience. ...read the complete Once movie review at TV Guide's Movie Guide (Ken Fox)
Once (2007) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Globe and Mail (Rick Groen)Globe and Mail (Rick Groen)
Sweet but never cloying, simple without being simplistic, delicate yet not at all precious, this is a film guaranteed to set your toes to tapping even as it plays a number on your heartstrings. ...read the complete Once movie review at Globe and Mail (Rick Groen)
Once (2007) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for St. Paul Pioneer Press (Chris Hewitt (St. Paul))St. Paul Pioneer Press (Chris Hewitt (St. Paul))
The perfect movie for people who love music. ...read the complete Once movie review at St. Paul Pioneer Press (Chris Hewitt (St. Paul))
Once (2007) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Atlantic City Weekly (Lori Hoffman)Atlantic City Weekly (Lori Hoffman)
The performances are so naturalistic ... the film feels like a documentary about the early origins of a now hot indie emo band. ...read the complete Once movie review at Atlantic City Weekly (Lori Hoffman)
Once (2007) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Denver Post (Lisa Kennedy)Denver Post (Lisa Kennedy)
One of the movie's pleasures is that it keeps us asking what sort of love story will Once become? ...read the complete Once movie review at Denver Post (Lisa Kennedy)
Once (2007) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Detroit Free Press (Terry Lawson)Detroit Free Press (Terry Lawson)
The most naturalistic and believable romantic musical you may ever see and hear. ...read the complete Once movie review at Detroit Free Press (Terry Lawson)
Once (2007) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for eFilmCritic.com (Erik Childress)eFilmCritic.com (Erik Childress)
As great as Once's songs will be on the soundtrack, it cannot compare to the visual stimuli that accompanies the long notes Hansard cries out and the backup that Iglova compliments like a guardian angel. ...read the complete Once movie review at eFilmCritic.com (Erik Childress)
Once (2007) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Toronto Star (Linda Barnard)Toronto Star (Linda Barnard)
This indie musical is a bijou of a film that joins unaffected performances and a compelling soundtrack in a low-budget, documentary-style film that lets us watch two people fall in love to the mesmerizing soundtrack of the songs they create. ...read the complete Once movie review at Toronto Star (Linda Barnard)
Once (2007) scores a combined 2.75 out of 4 stars for ColeSmithey.com (Cole Smithey)ColeSmithey.com (Cole Smithey)
Music video masquerades as a heart-on-sleeve narrative featuring a charismatic, if musically limited and redundant, Glen Hansard of the Irish rock band the Frames. ...read the complete Once movie review at ColeSmithey.com (Cole Smithey)
Once (2007) scores a combined 2.75 out of 4 stars for Film Threat (Jeremy Mathews)Film Threat (Jeremy Mathews)
A movie about the exhilaration of creative catharsis, "Once" is a film of limited production values, a low-quality picture and the occasional flubbed camera move. But it makes up for these flaws with sharp observations, compelling characters and a great ...read the complete Once movie review at Film Threat (Jeremy Mathews)
Once (2007) scores a combined 2.50 out of 4 stars for BlackFilm.com (--)BlackFilm.com (--)
What happens when the music in the film speaks more volumes than the actual dialogue, and yet they both compliment each other? You get something wonderfully magical. ...read the complete Once movie review at BlackFilm.com (--)
Once (2007) scores a combined 2.50 out of 4 stars for Slant Magazine (Nick Schager)Slant Magazine (Nick Schager)
nce is the David Gray or James Blunt of movie musicals, and amazingly enough, that's not a bad thing. Scoring his delicate love story to the tunes of its central singer-songwriter couple, John Carney doesn't reinvent the musical genre so much as ground ...read the complete Once movie review at Slant Magazine (Nick Schager)
Once (2007) scores a combined 2.50 out of 4 stars for L.A. Weekly (Ella Taylor)L.A. Weekly (Ella Taylor)
The Irish romance Once is one of those urban fairy tales you come out of not wanting to switch on your car radio, make small talk or do anything but shelter in its beguiling ambiance for as long as you can to avoid re-entering the real world. In real ...read the complete Once movie review at L.A. Weekly (Ella Taylor)
Once (2007) scores a combined 2.50 out of 4 stars for San Diego Metropolitan (Jean Lowerison)San Diego Metropolitan (Jean Lowerison)
A chance encounter turns into a fleeting musical partnership and a bittersweet relationship for a Dublin busker called only "Guy" (Glen Hansard, of Irish pub-rock band the Frames) and a chance passerby "Girl" (Marketa Irglov). She stops to listen, they ...read the complete Once movie review at San Diego Metropolitan (Jean Lowerison)
Once (2007) scores a combined 2.50 out of 4 stars for Hollywood Reporter (James Greenberg)Hollywood Reporter (James Greenberg)
Described by Irish director John Carney as an "art house musical," "Once" was one of the unheralded small films that took people by surprise and became a sleeper hit at the Sundance Film Festival, winning the World Audience Award. The story of a street ...read the complete Once movie review at Hollywood Reporter (James Greenberg)
Once (2007) scores a combined 2.50 out of 4 stars for Pretentious Musings (Kevin Koehler)Pretentious Musings (Kevin Koehler)
Roughly fifteen minutes transpires in Once when a struggling Dublin street musician teaches a girl he just met a song he'd written. She plays piano, he the guitar. The scene takes place at an instrument shop, closed while the proprietor eats lunch. The ...read the complete Once movie review at Pretentious Musings (Kevin Koehler)
Once (2007) scores a combined 2.50 out of 4 stars for Film Journal International (Frank Lovece)Film Journal International (Frank Lovece)
Fans of The Commitments will raise a glass of Guinness to this sweet, modern-day Irish version of those let's-put-on-a-show movie musicals of the 1940s. A street-level story of a 30-ish singer-songwriter (Glen Hansard of the Irish rock band The Frames, ...read the complete Once movie review at Film Journal International (Frank Lovece)
Once (2007) scores a combined 2.50 out of 4 stars for Haro Online (--)Haro Online (--)
Once is one of those rare movies that is deceptively simple. On the surface, it is just a story about two people who meet and write songs together. However, underneath, it is rich, complex, and the most satisfying portrait of a relationship between two ...read the complete Once movie review at Haro Online (--)
from $5.50
Compare Once (2007) Prices
 (23 sellers)

User Reviews

Write a Review

User Comments

Add a Comment
 
TopTenREVIEWS
RSS Feed
Share
Newsletter
Newsletters
Home
Software
Electronics
Web Services
Science Tech
Small Business
Mobile
Movies
Music
Video Games
Gift Ideas
Header arrow
Top Movie Lists
All Time Movie Reviews
Header arrow
Blogs
Become A Reviewer
Movie Reviews: Drama
Once (2007) Reviews
Once (2007)

RANKINGS:

Expand All | Close All
Ratings and rankings are based on number of movie, review scores, awards & other criteria.
Overall Rating:
3.2388
Once (2007) is ranked overall as out of 4 stars
Avg Critic Score:
3.2366
Once (2007) is ranked overall as out of 4 stars
Learn More ...
Critic Reviews  |  User Reviews  |  Comments  |  Movie Facts  |  Cast
Awards  |  Deals & Prices
Ads by Google
Quick Links
Shop & Compare
Rebates
TopTenREPORTS
RSS Feed
See our Feeds
Sponsored Ad:
Related Videos
Sponsored Ad:
Related Review Sites
Video Editing Software
DVD Player Software
DVD to iPod Software
 
TopTenREVIEWS.com
Copyright © 2003 - 2009 TopTenREVIEWS, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of TopTenREVIEWS, Inc. is prohibited