signlady

The reason this is not rated higher is due to the same problem many book-based movies have - people who know the book(s) expect very, very particular things a movie typically doesn't deliver.

But the lower reviewers need to know - the author sold the rights, & was involved to some degree, tho ultimately being unhappy with the final movie.

Ke' sera . . .

I'm a reader, but very rarely of fiction. So when these movies come out I can simply enjoy them without biase.

So if you've not read the books,, you're in for a fantastic unbiased movie experience, a movie with the right combination of everything - story, production, drama, comedy, action, a little romance, well-directed, well-paced, & well-acted with an excellent cast!

Hard to find a movie that has all these elements balanced so well.

I saw it when it first came out while on an overseas flight - but I didn't get to see all of it!!

Eventually, I got it on DVD & watch it a least once a year, if not twice! The special features are a real bonus too.

I usually watch this in winter - perfect movie when I can't do much outdoors due to cold weather!

Once again proves a fantastic movie can be made without one F-bomb or any cursing!!

Carney is pure, director genius.

So natural, was natural, so real, was filmed in a real way.

More movies should be like this.

The music is just awesome, incredible, beautiful as is the story here of being a musician, portrayed from two common (of many) perspectives . . .

One is the street musician - playing for extra money, feeling a little insecure, vulnerable. Just not sure when, where, how the dream can happen . . .

The other one, a musician whose highly skilled but has other responsibilities like kids & extra jobs so music is simply on the back burner.

But these two meet & ignite their love of music, so both experience a revival, which propels two different miracles each gives to the other, & both can then move forward in their lives.

Yes. A man & a woman can be just friends. Only people who have experienced a platonic friendship can understand this, & be able to watch this movie without the cliche expectation of romance.

This is kind of threesome: 2 human beings & music.

Also loved the guy who played the dad. It was nice to see a a portrayal of a parent supporting the dream & guenuinely liking the music.

Hansard became one of my favourite artists bc of this movie.

I also recognize him in other movie sound tracks as well.

Also got to see this performed Off-Broadway & it was wonderful.

Not late to the show.

I simply forgot I saw this movie once before until I started watching it again.

What does that tell ya?

Observations;

* The extra special features DVD of the set is pretty good.

* I liked the 1952 version of this film which was a fictional drama about the french artist Toulouse-Lautrec.

* 2001. Some names changed, some the same, story similar but different. The style is a comedy/drama/musical in technicolour.

* Very artsy-hippy. Extremely colorful.

* Think 'Across the Universe' & 'Everything Everywhere All At Once', with a few Monty Python-like comedic quirks of Robin Hood: Men in Tights. If you hated those movies, you'll probably despise this one.

* Most accurate description: If your from the 60s-70s - if you have a little ADD, then dropped acid while watching the 1952 version - this 2001 version is what you'd trip.

* I was offended that a real dwarf actor was not used for the part of Toulouse.

* I give it more than 6 stars but 5 seems pretty generous.

* You gotta be in an extremely energetic mood mentally to watch this. There's lot of super fast scene changes, physical action with fast scene changes, & dialogue & song is almost overlapping, with Evelyn Wood-speed montages of songs also almost overlapping.

If I have that much energy I'm busy outdoors, not sittin' around watchin' a movie.