Thehibikiew Not even bad in a good way

Holstra Boring, long, and too preachy.

Cleveronix A different way of telling a story

TrueHello Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

studioAT Anyone expecting a sequel to the mega hit musical that was 'Once' will be disappointed because this instead is a music documentary charting the relationship (both onstage and off) of the two stars as they embark on a tour under their band name 'The Swell Season'.It's beautifully shot in black and white, and works in the bands music well.We don't take sides as their relationship breaks down, we understand each persons thoughts and outlook, and end up feeling more connected and sympathetic as the piece goes on.It does feel at times like a DVD extra that's been given longer to play out, but you can't fault all involved for not sugar coating this piece.

ds-183-313126 Swell Season is a sensitive portrayal of the romantic and musical journey of two incredibly talented musicians. It is beautifully shot and I was emotionally engaged from beginning to end. I found myself deeply moved by the gradual disintegration of a relationship that spawned such beautiful harmony on stage. In our celebrity driven culture it is refreshing to see an honest portrayal of the costs of fame without pretension. For example, I was glad the academy award scenes were not over done. So many music documentaries only present idol worshiping fans and grandiose portrayals of the subjects as god/s. I found Swell Season to be a deeply truthful inquiry in this regard and in my opinion, this documentary has raised the bar for those that follow!

FalseRumorsDotCom There's no doubt about the fact that the film is beautiful. It feels like it's set in a never-ending autumn and moves with the quiet grace that the two stars embody. However...A previous reviewer mentioned that information seems to be missing, and I totally agree. There is much talk about the duo's Oscar win, and at one point Mar discusses how the two met, but there is no information on what happened in between so therefore I have no idea how "Once" came about.The stuff that makes it on screen is lovely and effective. I just wish I'd gotten a bit more information.

dbborroughs The film nominally covers the duo's tour across the world and the US after the Oscarwin during which we watch how the pair falls in and out of love.The film was shot in a moody black and white that looks great. The music is wonderful. The film itself is okay.The trouble is it's clear that not everything that happened during the time frame covered by the film was recorded. There are time periods where there was no coverage and we have to go on references (there seems to be vast passage of time where Glen's dad dies, but we don't have any sense of it). It's also plain to see that Marketa Irglova didn't really want to be on camera so at times the film comes off as the Glen Hansard show.It's not uninteresting but if you are a fan of the pair odds are you won't have any surprises. I liked the music but felt there was no point to it since there is nothing really new here.The film is worth a look if you like the pair, but I would wait cable or Netflix. On the other hand the final number before the end credits of Glenn playing Say it to Me Now at Radio City Music Hall is almost a good enough reason on it's own to see this on a big screen (It's one of those this is why I go to the movie moments we get so rarely these days).