On the streets of Dublin - Grafton Street, to be precise - a careworn busker (Glen Hansard) strikes up a friendship with a sparky young Czech immigrant (Marketa Irglova). He's nursing a broken heart and stalled ambitions; she's getting by on cleaning jobs and chutzpah. As their relationship evolves, writer/director John Carney weaves Hansard's gorgeous self-penned songs into the narrative, where they fit so naturally that you hardly notice you're watching a musical. No show-stopping routines here: just a seamless fusion of music and storytelling. Anchored by marvellous performances from acclaimed musician Hansard (last seen onscreen in The Commitments, to which this could be an unofficial follow-up) and gifted pianist Irglova, this has a gutsy grace that's all its own.