ONCE

I'm not on the cutting edge - never have been never will be. Heck I'm middle age so I have no idea what is hip, popular or the latest. I do not own an ipod and my cell phone is in my glove compartment. All that being said I still have a voice and a heart and a soul and the most important a mind of my own. No one has to tell me I'll make up my own mind and I don't care if some disagree. The film ONCE is by far the best movie I have seen in a long time and the music a soulful revelation.

Well of course I loved it all. Being a struggling artist, trying to get the word out about my novel and playing guitar in a small coffee shop how could I not relate? I just love movies without guns and chase scenes and all the trifling hollywood prattle that is mass marketed to our lowest common denominator.

Marketa Irglova is a gem of a human being fortunately not from this country she won't get what is herself polished off for mass marketing. Make art for art's sake yes indeed. There is a huge population of people across the globe that haven't sold out. There is a huge amount of humanity out there with integrity, vision, wonderment, and in awe of our beautiful lives and our beautiful planet. It's bloody brilliant and those that do not see it, refuse to see it or have taken the cheap easy way out live lives debased of harmony, infatuation, ecstasy, real joy, and fulfillment.

ONCE is a movie that defines our bitter sweet reality and holds it up as even more satisfying than sweet alone. It takes all the pieces of the puzzle to make a life worth living. Intelligence, compassion, beauty are for the strong. The weak cheat, kill and lie and take the easiest quickest path to an unaware, unenlightened, unfulfilled life. I love smart, I love integrity, I love beauty and I love this planet and its people, animals and all of creation. I hate - hate. All of these thoughts and beauty and love and a heightened sense of awareness kindled by art, music and the written word, and the people behind the creativity it is a joy of unrelenting happiness, a source of unending beauty, an awakening of never ending awareness of life and all it should be as in and through the very act of creation and the witnessing of and breathing in deeply of that creation.

The movie was that good!

Here are the artist links, sound tracks and recommended listening. Loose yourself in it to find yourself where you have always been except when overly swayed by desire and fear too far from the center of being and the well spring of creation.

Paul
Author - Journey Home
Marketa Irglova Oscar Acceptance Speech
Glen Hansard
Glen Hansard The Frames
The Swell Season