In this Oscar-winning film, Guy (Hansard) is a Dublin street musician. His music attracts an immigrant Girl (Irglova). She’s a musician too and plays for him on display piano in a music store. He repairs vacuum cleaners for a day job she’s got a Hoover that needs mending. Kismet. But she’s also got a canny business mind and helps him set up a session band and book a studio to record a demo disk. A film, then, with a very simple plot these are two good-natured people who love music. Will they love each other?

The director calls Once an art-house musical, others have called it magical. It was made in 17 days on a shoestring budget with non-professional actors (Hansard is better known as lead singer of the Irish band, The Frames, though he did have a part in the 1991 film The Commitments, and Irglova was 17 when she made Once, fresh from the Czech Republic and new to acting). The result is a resounding hit among audiences and critics in the West – a film without artifice about real people in a tough world where good things are still possible. Once works so beautifully because of its utter lack of pretence, and that takes skilful direction. And for the record, the music was composed and performed by the lead actors. Bet you’ll be humming the songs over the next few days.

Its one of those films where you hold your breath, hoping it knows how good it is, and doesn’t take a wrong turn. It doesnt. Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Once has gone on to take the world by storm. Its current US box office tally is approaching 10m and it has been championed by the likes of Steven Spielberg. Is the hype justified? Undoubtedly. Once has more heart and soul in every single frame than the majority of stuff coming out of Hollywood. This charming and winning affair is one of the years moviegoing highlights. Paul Hurley, Tiscali UK

The years most pleasant cinematic surprise. Once has enough heart wit verve and sheer song-writing genius to ensure you’ll see it far more times than its title suggests. Dan Jolin, Empire.