The Moots Point 1.0 - The Healing Begins

Chris Coots writes…

From my little corner, I’m going to start doing these more often instead of just talking about them with willing listeners in the kitchen. Films are a center for understanding culture, and the bravest, most important ones often go unseen due to lack of distribution. Maybe this will begin the healing process.

FILM REVIEW

Once directed by John Carney

The Nitty Gritty: A hard-luck friendship story about a heartbroken Irish street musician (or busker) and a pretty Czech woman who escapes from her difficult life by playing the piano. They meet. They play. They inspire each other, deal with their complicated love lives, and unleash musical passion over a subtly epic week. Guy and Girl are played by Glen Hansard of The Frames and Markéta Irglová respectively.

Check out the trailer )

Culture: Once or twice a year, one of the major studios tries to breathe life into the movie musical by gluing together a lavish song-and-dance debacle with big time sets, big time editing, big time numbers and extremely watered down, easy to digest emotions. Dreamgirls is the most recent culprit, and Hairspray will soon follow this summer. The big budget movie musical is part of our culture – and not an embarrassing part. It’s good to indulge in the fancy – we do it often – look at all the stuff we have. Leaving behind the glitzy baggage, John Carney’s Once makes a clean break from the trend with its efficient handheld camera, and low-key style. On the wings of its easy-to-love charm, this film takes you to emotional places that no formulaic flashy production ‘round Christmas could even sniff. For this reason it needs to be acknowledged. And for this reason, it will be remembered.

“In its own way, it’ll blow you away.” – Richard Roeper