MovieChat Forums > Once (2007) Discussion > One of my favourite movies of all time.....

One of my favourite movies of all time....but the ending? (spoilers....)

posted 10 years ago by Sheldom
12 replies | jump to latest

I love this movie, but I feel like the ending is kind of a cop out.
Ok, Glen goes to London to find his ex and make amends, but why? She cheated on him, why does he want her back after all the heart ache she caused him, he wrote loads of songs about her being a bitch and now he just goes to find her.

I know everyone's going to say my ideal ending is cliché but, The Piano girl and him get together and continue making music? It makes more sense then Glen going after a girl he has no future with.

[–] rc-108 10 years ago

sweet little movie...
the girl is adorable...together they were adorable..

I am not sure how to interpret the ending exactly..
if it is over for them.. In my little mind, I see their current relationships failing.. and eventually getting together...

[–] hodie 10 years ago

The guy was still carrying a torch for his old girlfriend. I thought that was pretty clear. He still had her picture. As far as the cheating story went, who knows what really happened?

The piano girl will go back with her husband and raise their child. Guy and Girl were never meant to go off together into the sunset. They knew each other briefly, but they changed each other's lives.

Get me a bromide! And put some gin in it!

[–] Irishdrummer007 10 years ago

"They knew each other briefly, but they changed each other's lives."

Very well said!!

[–] [email protected] (1288) 7 years ago

agreed

[–] keysign 10 years ago

But you want a cliche but isn't this ending just that?
At no point does he say the GF is a bitch.
As far as lyrics are concerned 'Falling Slowly' indicates falling slowly out of love as he knows he's pain 'you've suffered enough' and 'take this sinking boat'and she must go.
A later song 'Leave, Leave' say it all.
He meets Girl on the rebound. He tells Girl on the bus the GF has copped off with somebody else but it's a ruse to move in on her.
Eventually that turns out to be true when he makes that move. She's offended being used as there's certainly been no intimacy between them.
The best he can do is say 'sorry about last night but I think you're gorgeous' and give her a CD! He's a creep..
All along Girl has been testing the water about the GF.
Girl gets her concillatory piano, husband and Ivanka rightfully gets her dad back.
Like you I speculate Guy's return to GF in London.
I'm sure I've seen him busking on the South Bank singing about some Czech girl.

[–] Mickey77 9 years ago

I respectfully disagree.

Its this ending that gives every member of the audience who has invested emotional time in the characters to decide what happens next.

True a studio movie would have tested this ending with previews and made it more clear - but thank god this did not happen.

"Thank God For Darwin"

[–] Sheldom 9 years ago

I can get on board (and would gladly accept) the ending being open ended like that actually. I agree with you.

[–] NobodysFool 9 years ago

THE BUS, final shot

There is obviously a point to this blocking.

Why would they pan from her window to show an approaching bus immediately following a montage of his departure? We never actually see him leave or arrive in London. He appeared elated and hurried. Was he heading back to her, the woman he fell in love with in Dublin, or simply elated to be on a new journey, back to his old flame? Is the bus shot foreshadowing, symbolic of his departure and the fate of unforseen future possibilities? Perhaps just a reminder he is leaving and a devise employed to tug at the heart strings.

[–] AlexxJC 9 years ago

In my opinion the film ends perfectly. The point of the film isn't to have a guy and a girl meeting and falling in love, but being inspired by their mutual love of music to actually carry on with their lives. Both characters have removed themselves from what they were doing - the Guy stopped trying so hard to be a musician, and left his long term relationship. The Girl left her Husband in another country, and sells flowers and magazines rather than practicing and playing the instrument that she loves, with the family she started.

After the encounter (which only happens 'Once' - it may not be the reason for the title but that seems to be the point... Like a 'Before Sunrise' without the sequels), the Guy is inspired to head back to his girlfriend and to continue his promising career, whilst the Girl invites her Husband over to continue the family life she wants so much.

They both know the relationship between them wouldn't work, because they both have different paths, and the music just brings them close together, so they can help each other understand what they want.

John Carney never wanted a conventional romance story, and I think the film is all the better for it.

[–] roulin 8 years ago

I agree. I just saw the movie last night and was quite impressed with how everything was wrapped up. If Once had just been a "boy meets girl and they live happily ever after" movie, it would have been like ten billion other movies over the last hundred years. The audience *wants* them to end up together and I was disappointed when they didn't end up together, but that's great film writing. Anti-cliché. Good for John Carney.

[–] ksldrummer 7 years ago

I never took it that he was going to London to get the ex back. I took it that he was taking his demo to London to try and get signed in the music business. That he was following his dream. He could now do that as he's finally over his ex. And he was able to get over her bc of the Piano Girl.

[–] [email protected] (1288) 7 years ago

But he called his girlfriend on the phone, said he missed her, she said the same and asked if she should pick him up from the airport. He said no, I will come and find you.