John Carney’s Once is a modern-day musical. Set on the streets of Dublin, it features eight songs by Glen Hansard ? of Irish band The Frames ? who also stars in the film. Once tells the story of a busker and an immigrant, who fall in love as they write, rehearse and record a number of songs. Hansard’s music already has a huge following in Ireland and abroad, and the intention of Once was to make a kind of visual album, set against the backdrop of a fastchanging city. Steven Spielberg said that it gave him“enough inspiration to last the rest of the year”, the film is a simple, classic story of two artists falling in love. (Grainne HUMPHREYS)