Movie Review: Once (2006)

When Irish eyes are smiling

An Irish musician makes a living by busking in his free time and working in a vacuum repair shop.  One day he meets a girl who is also a musician.  When they begin to make music together, it is truly magical.  Everything about this film is great - the music (one of the songs, Falling Slowly won an Oscar in 2008), the characters, the narrative, the way it is shot - everything.  It is the definition of a good film.  This is the type of film against which others should be judged.  I can't say enough good things about this film.

Once gets 5 out of 5 stars!

Director: John Carney
Writer: John Carney
Starring: Glen Hansard, Markéta Irglová, Hugh Walsh
Rotten Tomatoes: 97%
Metacritic: 88%

Punching the Clown (2009)

Who are you?

A comedic musician who is trying to make it in L.A. gets mistaken for someone famous.  This case of mistaken identity leads to a record deal.   Which then leads the aspiring celebrity into the middle a big hysterical misunderstanding.  Real life comedian and musician Henry Phillips' deadpan delivery, (faux) cluelessness, and dry wit are the stars of this comedy.  Not many films make me laugh out loud, but this one did.  Great for fans of music, comedy or both. 

Punching the Clown laughs it way to 4 out of 5 Poblanos!

Director: Gregori Viens
Writer: Henry Phillips, Gregori Viens
Starring: Henry Phillips, Ellen Ratner, Matthew Walker
Rotten Tomatoes: 86%
Metacritic: 62 out of 100

The Sapphires (2012)

We gotta get out of this place

A group of young aboriginal Australian girls has a gift for singing.  When an down on his luck Irish musician sees them at a local talent show, he forms them into a Motown type girl group which ends up performing for US troops in Vietnam.  Set in the late 1960s, this Australian film is based on a true story, but it strays a bit far from the real events.  The story behind the film is interesting, but the retelling is less than interesting.  It also suffers from a bit too much sappiness.  At one point late in the movie, I just wanted it to end.  I did appreciate seeing the level of discrimination faced by the aboriginal Australians and how it paralleled the experiences of African Americans. 

The Sapphires lost some of its shine and only gets 2.5 out of 5 Poblanos!

Director: Wayne Blair
Writer: Tony Briggs
Starring: Chris O'Dowd, Deborah Mailman, Jessica Mauboy
Rotten Tomatoes: 92%
Metacritic: 67 out of 100