Lately I can't stop listening to the soundtrack from the movie Once. If you haven't listened to it, I don't know what you are waiting for.

Also, if you haven't seen the movie Once, I still don't know what you are waiting for. Once takes place in Ireland and tells the story of a heartbroken musician, who fixes vacuum cleaners to make ends meat. He runs into an immigrant from the Czech Republic who seems to be going through troubles of her own. They both discover they a have a fond love of music, and the story takes off from there.

If I had to categorize this movie, I would say it is a romantic musical. But don't tune out quite yet, because it's not what you think it is. First of all, the music is not musical-like, but rather, it sounds like indie rock. Second this is not the type of musical where people spontaneously burst into song and everyone around them starts dancing and singing for no reason at all. Because both of them are singer/songwriters, the music is presented in a way that makes sense and not beyond the complete scopes of reality. Also, don't be alarmed by the term romance, because it is not a typical one. Think a Lost in Translation style romance.

This movie was great, but the soundtrack is even better. I find myself listening to it constantly because it is music that I actually would listen to if I had just bought the CD on its own. Also, the character development is fantastic, and although the characters are weird, they do a great job of making them believable. The cinematography is another great aspect of this movie. Everything is done in a way that makes every moment seem real and intimate, like you were actually in Ireland for a week and were able to get a glimpse into these people's lives. That's the beauty of Once.

I'm giving it a 5 out of 5. For more information about my rating scale, refer to the tab entitled the Hoeft Scale at the top of this blog. But beyond my recommendations, here are what some others are saying. One review entitled it the best movie that no one has seen. Also on Rotten Tomatoes, it has gotten a 97% rating. That's huge. So go ahead, check it out. If you enjoy character development driven story and aren't just into blockbuster explosions, I think you'll love this movie.