Home25. Once (2006)
Made for less than $200,000, this scruffy indie from writer-director John Carney redefines the musical form. It stars an actual musician — Glen Hansard, of the Irish rock band the Frames — as a fictional busker who falls for a quirky pianist (Marketa Irglova) on the streets of Dublin. They have a tortured romantic flirtation, and pour their hearts out to each other in mournful original tunes that feel utterly real because they're not played as musical fantasy. A must.
The Lists
EW picks the best (and worst) in movies, TV, music, and more
Movie Musicals: The 25 Best of All Time
As ''Sweeney Todd'' slices onto DVD, we revisit the 25 greatest ''all singing! all dancing!'' extravaganzas ever made, from ''South Park'' and ''A Hard Day's Night'' to ''Singin' in the Rain,'' ''West Side Story,'' and our No. 1
| Apr 01, 2008
Steve Daly
Steve Daly is a senior writer at EW, and also author of EW.com's Money Shot column
