REEL CRITIC:

Are you sick of sequels yet? If so, you might enjoy “Once,” which hath musical charms to soothe even the most savage pirate, ogre or superhero breast.

This little Irish indie is refreshingly original and understated, with no big stars and very little plot. There are no special effects, and the actors are real musicians. Even the main characters are nameless.

An Irish street musician (Glen Hansard) sings his heart out on the streets of Dublin. During the day he sings popular songs that people will want to hear, but at night he is playing for himself.

A young Czech woman (Markéta Irglová) stops to listen and drops a dime in his guitar case.

Thus starts a careful friendship and fortuitous musical collaboration.

“Once” would be literally nothing without the music, and the haunting folk-rock tunes Hansard plays reflect the characters’ growth and their developing relationship. I have to say that the lyrics were not always easy to understand, but the depth of feeling behind them is unshakeable.

Filmed on a small budget and with a slow, deliberate pace, “Once” does not go the way of the typical movie musical or love story. Although it did not fully live up to my expectations, it did manage some very high notes.