Once

I hadn't heard of this movie when it came out, but kept hearing it on end-of-year "Best of 2007" lists so I rented it. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it. It's a fairly short, small production of a film, with a cast of non-actors playing fictionalized versions of themselves. It's been called a musical, and if you consider that it contains songs sung all the way through whose meaning ties directly to the plot and development of the characters, well, then, yes it's a musical, but don't let that discourage you. The acting is realistic and touching, the story is lovely and the music is wonderful. I loved watching Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova sing their song from the film just now, and was disappointed that it didn't get more nominations.