Once

Glen is an emotional, care-free singer who writes meaningfully and the Irish charm pours from his face while he sings.
Marketa has the cutest innocence and a unique accent; she is confused and stuck and sad.
This movie was made whole through the music and creations by Glen Hansard, etc. A sweet movie with a twisted romance that has, what most would believe to be, a sad ending. For me, it signified joy; it was an uncanny, short-lived, memorable and meaningful relationship between Glen and Marketa. Both of them were broken and torn and they saved each other - a fact that is easily overlooked. It seemed a true story and the ease with which Marketa and Glen played their characters made one believe wholly in their stories.

A part that stuck with me:
Marketa playing the piano towards the end of the movie and the look on Glen's face with his eyes shining and his mouth open, as though in horror. She sings well and she looks great and then she breaks down before completing the song. He says nothing, rubs her back and says, "Did you write that for your husband?"
What ensues, can make a viewer so confused and sad and hopeful. The viewer can see how much they fit and how much they care for each other, but Marketa is attached to her child and mother and still longs for her husband. Till the very end, the viewer hopes that they find a way to be together...