The Swell Season (film)

Last updated
The Swell Season
The Swell Season (film) poster.jpg
Film poster
Directed byNick August-Perna
Chris Dapkins
Carlo Mirabella-Davis
Produced byCarlo Mirabella-Davis
Starring Glen Hansard
Markéta Irglová
CinematographyChris Dapkins
Edited byNick August-Perna
Music by Glen Hansard
Markéta Irglová
Release date
  • 22 April 2011 (2011-04-22)
Running time
91 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

The Swell Season is a 2011 American documentary film directed by Nick August-Perna, Chris Dapkins and Carlo Mirabella-Davis.

Contents

Synopsis

After the success of the Irish movie Once and an Academy Award win, duo Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová became known all around the world. While Hansard has already been touring for many years, this experience is new to Irglová. She doesn't feel like a prominent person and does feel uncomfortable with all the media attention. Their personal relationship is threatened to fall apart under these often unmanageable circumstances and dynamics.

Background

When the band The Swell Season went on tour, after the success of the movie Once , Hansard asked his film teacher Carlo Mirabella-Davis to document the tour. The documentary was filmed between 2007 and 2010 by Mirabella-Davis and his co-directors Chris Dapkins and Nick August-Perna. Originally, the documentary should have become a classic music documentary. That changed, however, when the directors shot at Hansard's parents house. The film now became more of a documentary documenting the "burden of dreams and the gradual dissolution or transformation of a romantic relationship". [1] [2] During the shooting the relationship of Hansard and Irglova broke apart. [3] The film was shot in black and white and shows the protagonists Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová on their tour and at home. [4] It was cut from over 200 hours of film footage. [5]

Reception

Box office

The Swell Season was first shown in 2011 at the Tribeca Film Festival. [6] Several international broadcast followed. In 2012 it was published on DVD in America, in 2014 followed the British release. Furthermore, the movie was published in Germany, [7] Spain, [8] Austria (StudioCanal), Switzerland, Australia (Icon), Korea (Jin Jin) and Canada (Mongrel). [9]

Critical response

Kevin Huber of Filmstarts believes that the film is interesting and worth watching for viewers who know the movie Once. According to him the film would be excellent as bonus material for the Once DVD, but he is not sure if it works out as an independent documentary about Am. [10] Lisa Kennedy of The Denver Post , believes that the creators of the film assumed that the audience would know Once. The perfect audience knows the film Once and is fascinated by Markéta Irglová's acceptance speech. [11]

Carsten Knox of The Coast says the film is indispensable for fans of the music, as well as offering an amazingly intimate insight into the consequences of unexpected celebrity. [7]

Sasha Stone of Awards Daily believes that The Swell Season is an outstanding film that deserves an Oscar nomination. [12]

The Stanford Daily describes the film as a "painfully honest love story set in an extraordinary musical context.". [13] Brian Tucker from Star News Online also believes The Swell Season is one of the better documentaries because it is so open and honest. It shows the love and the pressure to succeed after years of work. [14]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Frames</span> Irish rock band

The Frames are an Irish rock band based in Dublin. Founded in 1990 by Glen Hansard, the band has been influential in the Dublin rock music scene. The group has released six studio albums. In addition to Hansard, the band's current line-up includes original member Colm Mac Con Iomaire, Dave Hingerty, Joe Doyle, and Rob Bochnik.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glen Hansard</span> Irish musician (born 1970)

Glen Hansard is an Irish singer-songwriter and musician. Since 1990, he has been the frontman of the Irish rock band The Frames, with whom he has released six studio albums, four of which have charted in the top ten of the Irish Album Charts. In the 2000s, he was one half of folk rock duo The Swell Season before releasing his debut solo album, Rhythm and Repose, in 2012. His 2015 second album Didn't He Ramble was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Folk Album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Graham Hopkins</span> Irish drummer (born 1975)

Graham Hopkins is an Irish drummer. He was the drummer in The Swell Season, The Frames and rock band Therapy?.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Swell Season</span> Folk-rock music duo

The Swell Season is a folk rock duo formed by Irish musician Glen Hansard and Czech singer and pianist Markéta Irglová. "The Swell Season" name is derived from Hansard's favourite novel by Josef Škvorecký from 1975 bearing the same title. Their debut album, released in 2006, carried the same name.

<i>The Cost</i> (album) 2006 studio album by The Frames

The Cost is the sixth studio album by The Frames, released in Ireland on Plateau Records on 20 September 2006. The album was released worldwide on ANTI- on 20 February 2007. The album exhibits a sound more like that of For the Birds than their more recent album Burn the Maps. The Frames' line-up for The Cost features Glen Hansard on guitar and vocals, Colm Mac Con Iomaire on violin and keyboards, Joseph Doyle on bass guitar and backing vocals, Rob Bochnik on lead guitar and Graham Hopkins who played drums in place of the Frames' regular drummer Johnny Boyle. It was recorded in Black Box, France by Stephen Fitzmaurice and David Odlum with assistance from Fabian Lesure. The front and back covers feature photography by frontman Hansard of oak leaves, accompanied by a handwritten inscription reading: "Ni identitat permanent, ni idea de persona, ni d'ésser vivent, ni d'un temps d'existència". The album is enigmatically dedicated to "Multi ".

Mark Geary is an Irish singer-songwriter born in Dublin, Ireland, into a large family with seven siblings, one of whom is actor Karl Geary. In 1992 he emigrated to New York City with a one-way ticket after winning a lottery green card. Living in New York's East Village, Mark honed his craft and sang alongside the best of them in Sin-é cafe, including the late Jeff Buckley.

<i>Once</i> (film) 2007 film by John Carney

Once is a 2007 Irish romantic musical drama film written and directed by John Carney. The film stars Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová as two struggling musicians in Dublin, Ireland. Hansard and Irglová had previously performed music as the Swell Season, and composed and performed the film's original songs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Markéta Irglová</span> Czech-Icelandic musician and actress

Markéta Irglová is a Czech-Icelandic singer-songwriter, musician and actress, who starred in the film Once, which earned her a number of major awards, including the Academy Award for Best Original Song for "Falling Slowly", with co-writer and co-star Glen Hansard.

Joe Doyle is the bassist and backing singer for Irish rock band The Frames and The Swell Season. He has been a member of The Frames since 1996, appearing on six albums to date. In addition to appearing on Frames albums, he has also plays bass and contributes backing vocals to two Swell Season albums: the soundtrack to "Once" and "Strict Joy." He is currently touring as a member of the Swell Season, which also includes Glen Hansard (vocals/guitar), Marketa Irglova (vocals/piano), Graham Hopkins, Rob Botchnik and Colm Mac Con Iomaire. Doyle originates from Allenwood, County Kildare, Ireland.

The 33rd Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards, given by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA), honored the best in film for 2007.

The 20th Chicago Film Critics Association Awards, given by the CFCA on December 13, 2007, honored the best in film for 2007.

The 12th Florida Film Critics Circle Awards, given by the Florida Film Critics Circle on December 12, 2007, honored the best in film for 2007.

"Falling Slowly" is a song in the indie folk and indie rock genres that was written, composed and performed by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová. The song was featured on the soundtrack of the 2007 Irish musical romance film Once, which starred Hansard and Irglová, and for which it won the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 80th Academy Awards. The song was also recorded by Hansard's band The Frames.

The 11th Online Film Critics Society Awards, honoring the best in film for 2007, were given on 9 January 2008.

Rob Bochnik is an American musician, audio engineer, singer and songwriter. He is guitarist with The Frames, has worked with The Swell Season, The Butcher Shop Quartet and records as a solo artist. He has worked on several projects as an audio engineer including the Grammy-nominated Once soundtrack and Set List, The Frames' 2003 live album.

<i>Strict Joy</i> 2009 studio album by The Swell Season

Strict Joy is the second album by The Swell Season. It was released in Ireland on October 23, 2009, the rest of Europe on October 26, and on October 27 in North America on the Anti- record label. The title of the album was derived from a 1931 book of poems written by Irish poet James Stephens.

Interference is an Irish band based around the late singer-songwriter Fergus O'Farrell.

<i>Once</i> (soundtrack) 2007 soundtrack album by Glen Hansard, Markéta Irglová and Interference

Once (Music from the Motion Picture) is the soundtrack to the 2007 film of the same name directed by John Carney. It was released by Columbia Records and Canvasback Music on 22 May 2007 in the United States and on 26 May in Ireland. The album featured 13 tracks into the album; all of them were performed by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, with one song being performed by the band Interference. A collector's edition of the album, with two additional tracks — cover versions of "And the Healing Has Begun" and "Into the Mystic" — were released by Sony BMG on 4 December 2007.

<i>Once</i> (musical) 2011 musical

Once is a musical based on the 2007 film of the same name by John Carney. Like the film, music and lyrics were by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, including the Academy Award-winning "Falling Slowly". The book for the musical was written by Enda Walsh. The musical premiered at the New York Theatre Workshop in 2011, before transferring to Broadway in 2012. The production received eleven 2012 Tony Award nominations, and won eight including Best Musical, Best Actor and Best Book. The musical also won the 2012 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical and the 2013 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. It has since spawned a London production, with a North American Tour which started on 1 October 2013. In the musical, the cast also serves as the orchestra. A minimalist set is used, including a bar in center stage with chairs lining stage left and right. Exiting cast members simply step to the side of the stage and sit down. They serve as the orchestra from these chairs. The bar is used before the show and at intermission as a working bar for theater patrons.

<i>Im Going to Break Your Heart</i> 2019 Canadian film

I'm Going to Break Your Heart is a Canadian documentary film, directed by Annie Bradley and Jim Morrison and released in 2019. The film profiles musicians Raine Maida and Chantal Kreviazuk on a retreat in St. Pierre and Miquelon, detailing both their collaboration on the joint album Moon vs. Sun and their efforts to work on the fractures and conflicts that had emerged in their 19 years of marriage.

References

  1. Bob Boilen. "A Couple Breaks Up, But The Band Plays On". NPR .
  2. "Meet the 2011 Tribeca Filmmakers. "The Swell Season" Directors". 18 April 2011.
  3. Peter Howell (12 January 2012). "The Swell Season review: Once were lovers". Toronto Star .
  4. Bill See (25 March 2012). "The Cost of Success: When Lives Intersect With Fame".
  5. "'The Swell Season' with Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova of 'Once' to open in US Cinemas in October".
  6. John DeFore (22 April 2011). "The Swell Season: Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter .
  7. 1 2 Carsten Knox. "Film Fest Reviews".
  8. "The Swell Season".
  9. Philip Connolly. "'Swell Season' Seals Distribution Deals".
  10. Kevin Huber. "The Swell Season - Die Liebesgeschichte nach Once".
  11. Lisa Kennedy (30 November 2011). "Movie review: Three years after "Once," the Guy and the Girl adjust".
  12. Sasha Stone (21 April 2011). "Tribeca Film Festival: the 10th anniversary".
  13. Intermission Staff (25 November 2011). "Review: 'The Swell Season".
  14. Brian Tucker. "Cucalorus 17: Thursday Night".