Once

Glen Hansard, Marketa Irglova

Directed by John Carney

Rating: A-

"Once" is not a true story, though it gives the appearance of one. Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova aren't named in this movie besides "guy" and "girl" but these two are what make the movie worth watching. Glen Hansard is a singer/songwriter, playing guitar on the streets of Dublin while also working with his dad at a vacuum repair shop. Marketa is entranced by Glen's music and is happy to find out he can fix her broken vacuum cleaner. While the two get to know each other, Marketa mentions she learned to play the piano from her father. When the two enter a music shop, the real chemistry grows between them when they play and sing one of Glen's songs. Marketa isn't looking for a relationship, as she's raising a little two-year-old girl with her mother, and Glen is troubled between his new feelings for Marketa and going back to an old girlfriend he loved.

What I loved about "Once" is the music you hear all throughout the movie. You hear a few songs repeatedly but they find a way to stay in your head and refuse to leave. From the lyrics to the melody, these songs are in their way romantic. That's one word to describe this movie. "Once" makes you want to hear more from these two and you can. Glen and Marketa went on tour together for a little while, forming the band "The Swell Season".

I highly recommend for anyone to watch this movie, but you have to watch it twice. (Or at least listen to the soundtrack a few times to appreciate the music before watching.) The first time around is a little bit slow, mainly because you're trying to figure out if there's any plot and what kind of movie it is. After you get to listen to the songs in the movie, the second time you watch it is best because you're familiar with the songs and it means more to you than the first time. "Once" doesn't have a plot besides a musician who misses a woman who left him but it does leave you with a morose, yet satisfied feeling at the end.

Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Ian McKellan, Sean Astin, Orlando Bloom, Liv Tyler

Directed by Peter Jackson

Rating: A-

Frodo Baggins (Wood) is entrusted with an ancient ring, he soon finds that it takes him on a journey beyond what he could possibly dream of. The ancient ring turns out to be the ring of the dark lord Sauron, and it is agreed that the ring should be destroyed. Frodo volunteers for this dangerous journey and is joined by his three hobbit friends, Gandalf (McKellan), Legolas (Bloom), Aragorn (Mortensen), Gimli ( John Rhys-Davies), and Boromir (Sean Bean). They know it's not an easy path they take and they face many hardships along the way.

In this first installment of "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, director Peter Jackson does a brilliant job bringing the story to life. This movie is perfection (though I have not read the books and don't know how readers of the series feel). So why is it perfection? The cinematography looks amazing. From the New Zealand landscapes to Mordor, it creates a believable setting for the movie to take place. The cast fit their roles and do justice to portraying their characters. You can see the fear in their eyes and the toll their burden takes on them.

While the movie is a bit lengthy, it makes for a great movie night. It's also fun to commentate on because of the faces Frodo makes and some of the lines are fun to quote. Or that could be just me who likes to do that. I definitely recommend watching this movie. It's one of those movies you have to watch before you die, even if magical action movies don't interest you. Even if you end up disliking it (not possible!) at least you can say you saw it without people scoffing at how ridiculous you are for not watching it.

Love Actually

Colin Firth, Liam Neeson, Hugh Grant, Bill Nighy, Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson, Laura Linney, Martin Freeman, Keira Knightley

Directed by Richard Curtis

Rating: A

An ensemble movie with a huge cast, "Love Actually" tells the stories of different people's love stories during the Christmas holidays. Jamie Bennett (Firth) finds out the hard way that his girlfriend is cheating on him -with his brother- and he takes to France during the winter holidays to write. Daniel (Neeson) just lost his wife and has a young stepson who locks himself in his room all day. Daniel tries to connect with him, since they both lost someone very important in their lives. Hugh Grant plays the British Prime Minister (he doesn't have a proper name in this movie) and is distracted from his job by the one of the household staff, Natalie (Martine McCutcheon).

"Love Actually" is a great movie to watch for any occasion. It's a great Christmas movie to watch, perfect for Valentines Day, and to watch during the summer when you're craving a good British film. "Love Actually" isn't the average cheesy romance that we tend to see in the U.S. It has substance, humor, a great cast, and yes, romance. It's not just a "chick flick" because there are actually a good handful of guys who appreciate this movie too. So there! It's great for all audiences but it does have some rated "R" moments so anyone under sixteen might have to wait.

"Love Actually" doesn't bore you with one straight plot line. Instead you follow different characters (and it's not too confusing to remember who's who but you might have to watch it a second time). This is one of my favorite movies of all time (number two!) and you can never go wrong gathering some friends and watching this for a fun movie night.