Once

The music for this movie is wonderful. We have the CD as well and listen to it all the time. The movie itself was very real--raw emotions, down-to-earth, with likable characters. That's pretty amazing given that the "actors" were not actors but musicians.

I LOVED IT, A GREAT LOVE STORY. THE MOST ILL FITTED PEOPLE BUT CAME TOGETHER AT THE RIGHT TIME AND PRODUCED THE BEST MUSIC AND LOVE STORY. IT IS THE BEST LOVE STORY IN A LONG TIME. JM

I'm shaking my head over the few negative reviews of this sweet film. Those reviewers are disgusted by its sentimentalism (because they're dead inside); they claim the stars have no chemistry (the reviewers must have failed chemistry class); they're made seasick by the handheld camera (if they think this is a shaky camera, the Bourne movies must give them seizures; I never once found the camerawork distracting); and one reviewer even seems outraged that this isn't a toe-tapping musical version of Animal House (seriously).

They don't get that this film is not a musical in the Singin' in the Rain sense; it's not a romance in the usual sense; and it's not about grandly staged musical numbers or Oscar-caliber acting (though these non-actors are completely convincing and real).

What it is is a simple, unabashedly sentimental story about two ordinary people who find each other, pour their hearts out in their music, form a special bond, and inspire each other to move on to the next phase of their lives. Maybe these aren't the best songs ever written (although one was good enough to win an Oscar), but they're passionately expressive and if you aren't moved by their honest power, if you're not charmed by all these good, decent characters, if your soul isn't lifted by the magic of people coming together to make music that's real instead of corporately manufactured, then you are to be pitied.

Hollywood ought to sit up and take notice that this little film is more memorable and has more emotional power than any number of overblown, star-driven, $100 million dollar ego-fests.

The characters in this movie and the setting give it the makings of a wistful little movie well worth seeing, in particular,Markéta Irglováe, as the girl is truly a revelation.

BUT MAKE SURE YOU CAN LISTEN TO THIS MUSIC

The first time the guy and girl sit down to do a song together, it seems pleasant enough. It's a bit histrionic and repetitious, but there is one good section of lyrics. But, at least for my wife and me, thereafter, the music was all but intolerable. It struck us as tedious, with lyrics that are juvenile at best. You hear much of the same song over and over and worse, every other song employs the same tortured singing.

Well, the moral of the story here is that if you like small movies with not entirely predictable plots points and utterly decent folk as characters, this is a wonderful, four-star movie

IF YOU CAN STAND THE MUSIC.

Neither my wife nor I could and we have widely divergent tastes in music. Listen to the first song on the soundtrack at least three times. If you still like the song after that -- and like small movies, you will likely join the significant list of critics who raved about this movie.

But if you can't listen to that song three times in a row. Watch this entire movie at your own risk. It may rank among the least pleasant experiences of this year for you.

What a wonderful movie, filled with fantastic music !!! This is a true hidden gem, ... except for all the awards they won in Sundance !!!