ONCE

If ONCE is playing in a theater near you, do not hesitate to see it -- so far, it's my favorite movie of the year, hands down.

It's brilliant and unassuming and its charms are numerous and subtle, not the least of which is the startlingly talented Glen Hansard from the Irish band The Frames, whose heartbreaking voice and lost-puppydog eyes had me at hello.

It's sort of a musical and sort of a romance -- but neither description does it justice. It's an incredibly moving portrait of the passion and fragility of the creative process, and I rushed home to buy the soundtrack online as soon as the movie was over.

If you need additional convincing, the reviews are pretty incredible across the board -- my favorites being from Peter Travers in Rolling Stone, and this one from LA Weekly's Ella Taylor:

"Once is one of those urban fairy tales you come out of not wanting to switch on your car radio, make small talk or do anything but shelter in its beguiling ambiance for as long as you can to avoid re-entering the real world."

Just go. You won't be disappointed.