Once.

Did you see movie that was a love fest to eighties music, complete with eighties child star Drew Barrymore, called Music and Lyrics? It was filled with a few moments of pop-up video fun and made me laugh on a flight from Seattle to Denver. Once. And only once. Oy.

I want to be the guy who selects music for movies. No, not just because I’ve had a crush on Cameron Crowe (yep, both the man and his work) since his debut with Fast Times at Ridgemont High. I want to be Cameron Crowe’s stunt double. Here is a movie that bests the work Crowe has done with music and movies and love stories: Once.

The movie Once is an independent gem. Made for what probably was literally a song, this is a brilliant love story with music and lyrics created by a couple while they fall in love with each other. I know, same story line as that movie I saw on the plane. Only this is music you want to hear more than once. It is not often that we get to experience such a wonderful matching of music and movie and love and heart. The couple from the movie are also the songwriters and they really are a couple in real life. A perfect match.

Glen Hansard, you know him from The Commitments, plays “guy” and Marketa Irgolov plays “girl.” It’s a basic story- girl meets guy, tells him to follow his dream, they become pals, fall in love, and then become each other’s dream. The music tells their story, and it’s a passion-filled journey. The camera work makes it feel like you are right there with "guy" and "girl" through the creative process.

This movie was released to theatres over the summer- the season in Seattle to be outside, so I missed it in the theatre. I have been enjoying the CD for months now and the music has even more impact when watched with the movie. In fact, the song "Falling Slowly" is also featured on this year’s edition of the KBCO Studio C collection. I think it could get an Oscar nod for best song from a movie.

Please, add Once to your NetFlix queue. Or purchase the DVD and help support independent movies and songwriters. I promise you will want to see it more than once.