The slow, but steady wins the race Cinderella movie story of the year might go to “Once,” the romantic, not-quite a musical film, that stars Frames singer Glenn Hansard.
Hansard and his ‘Once’ co-star and musical collaborator Marketa Irglova (also in the spin-off band The Swell Season with Hansard) just finished recording their version of “I’m Not There” for the eponymous Bob Dylan biopic by Todd Haynes and Hansard credits the success of “Once” for landing the Frames a opening slot for Dylan in Australian and their inclusion in the film.(though USA today says the duo covered “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere” from the Basement Tapes and before that, a 1971 Greatest Hits); the poorly worded Frames website indicates that the song is the title track. Which is it?)
“It is such a great boost for us,” Irglova told USA today. “We’ve been playing that song together for years” (sounds like the Frames can’t write).
“Once” is getting slow, but sure acclaim. Steven Spielberg said just this week, “A little movie called ‘Once’ gave me enough inspiration to last the rest of the year,” and Fox Searchlight is mounting a new marketing and Oscar campaign for the original songs (we’re betting they will likely get a dark horse nomination ala Aimee Mann’s Magnolia compostions). “Once” which was made for $150,000 dollars has made a very-profitable $6.5 million dollars.
Watch: “Once” trailer
Download: Bob Dylan and the Band – “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere”
Download: Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova – “When Your Mind’s Made Up”
Download: Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova – “Once”