Once: A Wee Gem of a Movie 

One of my favorite movies of 2007 is Once, a wee gem of a movie about two lost souls -- a 30ish Dublin musician and the Czech girl he meets in the street (while lugging a broken vacuum cleaner!).

They strike up a friendship and realize that maybe they can help each other through this period of their lives. He's grieving for the woman he left behind in London. She's struggling to raise her child without the help of a spouse.

He convinces her to make a demo tape of his original songs, and they gather up a few other musicians and raise the money for studio time. In a year when Hairspray and Pirates III leapt off the screen at you, Once invited you into its quiet grace and subtle realism.

Sweet and heartfelt, Once is a movie everyone should see.