The film "Once" is just your simplistic, but charismatic love-story, made unique and at times ravishing thanks to wonderful songs written by the lead character and the charming chemistry shared by the couple. Needless of a plot synopsis, the movie is about a man (mostly a failure) who meets a girl out of nowhere, and the film is a depiction of how they fall in love through the songs they write.

Unfortunately, the relationship seemed forced and constructed from the very second they meet. Everything appears to be pre-determined, and because of that, it didn't seem to naturally progress or flow. One 15-second argument seemed very out of place and put in there for the sake of showing us they aren't this "perfect" couple as we'd first assume. Without those songs, this would've been another banal, uninspired love story.

While this isn't a wholly successful film, several magnificent moments kept me engaged, and for that, I'd give it a mild recommendation.

7/10