by Luanne Paul King

Two films about new beginnings shot with hand-held cameras.

Once

In Dublin, John Garney directed the amazing film Once in three weeks with two handicam cameras, $100,000 and a cast of friends. Glen Hansard, guitarist and singer-composer and Marketa Irglova, a Czech pianist, composer and singer, play two people who meet on a street. The Guy is playing one of his songs for tips. The Girl stops to listen and asks him if he wrote that song. She’s impressed when he says, ”Yes.” When she learns he works for his dad at a Hoover vacuum repair shop, she offers to bring her vacuum cleaner for repairs. After they talk awhile, Guy reveals his girlfriend of many years has left him and is now living in London. Girl does not mention that her husband has left her. She cleans houses, sells roses, and lives with her mom and daughter. She is a pianist without a piano. Guy shares his dream of making a demo disc he can take to London to land a music contract. He takes Girl to a beautiful piano to write lyrics for his new song. Composing music together deepens their feelings for each other and changes their new song. They gather other street musicians and rent a recording studio for the weekend to record two demo discs. The results please the studio owner. In one week, Guy’s life feels like a new adventure. Guy books a flight to London. With mixed feelings about leaving Girl, he calls Girl from the airport. No response. 

“Falling Slowly” is the song the couple composed in the film. It won the 80th Academy Award for Best Song.

2007 DVD release. Rated R. 86 Minutes.

Chop Shop

Ramin Bahrani has created a story about a likeable, fearless, crafty 12-year-old Latino orphan who lives and works inside auto-repair businesses near Queens, NYC. Alejandro (Alejandro Polanco), called Ale, sleeps in a makeshift room above the shop where he works. He never went to school so he can’t read but he can count his earnings and save them. When his 16-year-old sister Isamar (Isamar Gonzales) shows up, he makes a place for her in his tiny home. Ale has a plan to buy a food-vending van so he and Isamar can sell food and drinks to workers and their customers. Isamar has had some experience doing that. Finally, Ale strikes a deal to buy the van with his savings. Regulations about how to outfit the van for serving food prove too expensive. Ale is forced to sell it at a loss. Then he finds out that Isamar sells sex after hours to truck drivers. That infuriates the boy who wants to protect his sister. He even tries to get her away from a truck driver who injures him. Ale and Isamar stop speaking and she leaves. When she returns a few days later, she and Ale half-smile at each other. They don’t speak of the fight they had. The boy remembers something a man once taught him about pigeons. In his matter-of-fact way, Ale feeds seed to the birds landing outside his home. What will his new plan be?

Recent DVD release. Not rated. 84 minutes.