User Reviews

Begin Again (2013) Viewed: 11/6/2020 Starring: Keira Knightley, Mark Ruffalo, Directed by: John Carney Written by: John Carney

Plot: The film centers on Gretta (Keira Knightley), a songwriter. She can sing and has clear talent, but she prefers not to appear on stage or be recorded. The film opens with her playing in a small bar, however. It's evident she doesn't want to be there and that she has little stage presence. Following this performance, the camera pens to Dan (Mark Ruffalo). We then go back to Dan's past few hours: he was ousted by his record label, mocked by his daughter and ex wife, and is clearly down on his luck and an alcoholic. When he hears Gretta play, he sees an entire band appear around her: this is a star in the making. We then jump back to Gretta's past few days: her arrival in NY with boyfriend Dave (Adam Levine). Dave is hot new music star and has just signed with a major record label. Gretta, who has written Dave's songs with him, is along for the ride.

Soon, however, a fracture appears: Dave has fallen for someone else. Gretta leaves upset and ends up at the bar where she plays her song for Dan. This is where the timelines all converge. Dan convinces Gretta to make a music album all over New York: Central Park, on the rooftop, in the subway, etc. They also learn about each other's past: both of their exes had cheated on them. Gretta also has a positive effect on Dan, mending his relationship with his daughter. Through the music and they helping each other's career (Dan helping Gretta play her music live and make an album, Gretta helping Dan produce a great album and putting him back on the map) as well as their personal lives. Dave tries to reconnect with Gretta, but in a poignant moment, comes to realize that this new, confident version of herself, has grown apart from Dave, even though he is sorry for his mistake.

Review: This is very cute and well-made movie. It starts off with multiple flashbacks, which works really well, without ever getting confusing. The chemistry between Ruffalo and Knightley is also palpable and helped by great performances from both. It's a really good decision to not make this a straight up romance, even though the story would lend itself perfectly for that. The writer-director could have easily taken the road of a love triangle and a big climax at the end where Knightley would have to choose between Levine and Ruffalo: the man who she loved as her past self, or the man who helped her realize her true potential. Instead, the story focuses on the growth of both of our lead characters. How they both try to begin again, after their careers and love lives have taken a nosedive and choose to let the parts they want to keep in the past in the past, and hold on to the parts they cherish. It's a story of overcoming inner demons and regret, and beginning again as their happiest most genuine selves. This comes to its culmination in its very strong ending which goes contrary to your standard Hollywood fare.

John Carney pulled off a miracle with ONCE, a romantic fable fueled by charming acting performances and genuinely beautiful and passionate, original music. In my recollection, it is the one and only film that made me cry — not solely because I cared so much for its characters, but because I didn't want my all-too-brief glimpse into their world to end. The fact that Carney pulled this off for a paltry $100,000 resulting in an Academy Award winning song and a Broadway musical only makes his feat that much more miraculous.

So, I was eagerly anticipating BEGIN AGAIN. Maybe my expectations were too high. You can't fault the acting performances in Carney's second peek into the world of contemporary music. Mark Ruffalo is, as always, multi-layered and heartfelt. His plight, as an alcoholic, divorced A&R man/failed father on the skids is vividly drawn. And, if those personal flaws weren't enough to doom his career, his idealistic, bull-headed insistence on working with "authentic" artists in an era of derivative, technologically manufactured music pushes him right up to the edge of precarious cliff.

And, here is exactly where film dooms itself. In Ruffalo's Dan and Keira Knightly's Gretta, Carney has written two characters who refuse to compromise the integrity of their work. This conceit demands that the script, the casting, and the entire ambiance of the film be authentic -- which it simply isn't.

In ONCE, the lead actors Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova were real, professional singer/songwriters. They wrote and performed their own songs with complete conviction. To play Gretta, Knightly had to "learn" guitar, which she mimes, but only barely. Her voice is unexceptional, not one that would believably attract Dan to risk his last chance on. And, most importantly, BEGIN AGAIN's songs are at best okay, in total unremarkable.

The idea that Gretta and this thrown-together band could actually record state-of-the-art live performances in public places in New York City is technically possible, but pragmatically preposterous. And, if Dan is truly striving for authenticity, recording Gretta in a cheap digital format would be the last way he would go.

Movies about music performance and production are, more often than not, shot without much attention to how it really happens. Directors usually get away with it because the public at large doesn't know any better. Cameron Crowe's brilliant ALMOST FAMOUS is an example of a film that absolutely nailed it. It's disappointing to see a film that pontificates about authenticity, yet fails so miserably to achieve it.

The fine actors in this film all have their moments. Regardless of her musical shortcomings, Knightly exudes enormous charm. Adam Levine is surprisingly genuine and believable. Up and comer Hailee Steinfeld and the invariably wonderful Catherine Keener are excellent. The most-deft supporting performance is turned in by Mos Def.

I do have to complement Carney that his script resists the temptation to allow Dan and Gretta to succumb to their obvious attraction to one another. However, for Gretta to choose to virtually "give" downloads of her album away for a dollar states nothing. It only reinforces the old saying, "I bought it for a song." Music is a treasure that should be valued. Music enriches our lives. There is no integrity in an "artist" giving his or her work away, especially after a group of dedicated musicians (with a piece of the back end) devoted so much sweat equity into realizing those songs.

With BEGIN AGAIN, John Carney has once again proved he is capable of writing charming characters and excellent dialog. Let's hope he endeavors to take his next story outside of the music business.

(Also don't read this if you want to avoid spoilers for "Once".)

"Begin Again" was written and directed by John Carney, responsible for the wonderful 2006 music movie "Once" and here, with a much more prominent cast, he did not let me down either. This movie was originally intended to go by the title "Can A Song Save Your Life?" and I'm glad they changed it, as admittedly it did sound a little pretentious. "Begin Again" fits the story very well too.

The first half has many leaps in time, so we see how Ruffalo's and Knightley's characters meet for the first time from their own perspectives. I liked that a lot. What I also liked was Knightley's singing, especially in these scenes when there is no orchestra or band playing. Something raw about it! Back to the scene where they meet for the first time (or I should probably say where she sings and he listens): He had a few drinks before and imagines her voice going together with a full orchestra. This was possibly the highlight of the whole movie for me. Really well done and it left a lasting impression. I wanted to swing with Ruffalo's character there.

Now that I mentioned my favorite already, here is some more scenes that I deemed significant:

The ending was expected, if you have seen "Once". It seems a bit of the director's trademark to pick something that the audience will not totally love, but understand. You wonder during the whole film if they get together (it probably even looked more that way in "Once" than here). I have read different interpretations here, but my thoughts were that Levine's character played the song the way she wanted him to and she sees how the audience loves that version and is deeply impressed. Obviously, we see Ruffalo's character getting together with his ex-wife again and it seems like Greta makes the same decision.

One indicator is the ear-phones she sends back, which is a bit of a sign that at least their romantic relationship is gone. These played a major role in an earlier scene, where they connect by sharing their playlists and both listening them at the same time by sharing the earphones just the way Ruffalo's character did when he met his wife years ago. In the end he sits on a bench back together with his wife and these two sharing the earphones. Earlier there is a scene where he gets in a car with Greta and the wife (Catherine Keener) looks at him through the door. Later on, it is exactly the other way around. Ruffalo's character gets in the car with his ex-wife and Greta looks at the two. Nice parallel here.

Adam Levine, I'm not really familiar with his music except one or two songs and I would not call him a particularly gifted actor after watching this one, but the part seemed good for him. He gave a credible performance.

What stayed in mind was the Jerry Maguire quote from early on. These two are not completely the same, but actually there are a few parallels. I won't go further into detail here in order to avoid spoilers for a third movie.

Hailee Steinfeld was not a highlight here. She gave a wonderful performance in "True Grit" and is possibly the most talented actress under 20 right now, but her character's development was just so predictable just like the whole transformation that came from her bonding with Knightley's character. She looks up to her, dresses differently and evolves character-wise, but there was nothing fresh about her storyline. It has all been done many many times before. She made the most of it, but I felt she was a bit wasted here.

Another scene I really loved was the moment when the two central characters really make a connection, namely when Ruffalo's character tells Knightley's character that it was his wife who cheated on him. The hug from behind is one of the most beautiful shots of the movie year 2013.

Other than that, there were quite a few record label references, which I did not find too interesting, but if you are more into the actual physical creation of music, you may disagree. I liked seeing Mos Def again though, eight years after his excellent performance in "16 Blocks".

A negative point would be the inclusion of police (rooftop, metro station). I did not really like how they used it to show how the central characters were so alternative and just did what they liked to the level that it was illegal. No need to bring that in. It just seems forced to make them even more likable, but the two already were anyway.

Greta's platonic friend was played by James Corden. Random note: He will replace Craig Ferguson as host of "The Late Late Show" in 2015. Solid performance, nothing outstanding. I liked how he was the polar opposite to Adam Levine's character: a street musician, neither rich nor famous, but completely authentic. Another interesting snippet is how both men (one early on, one at the end) ask Greta to come to the stage and sing and she only did it for Corden's character.

There is a reference to alcoholism included too, but this is not what the movie is about, so I liked that they did not go further into detail. Had they elaborated on it, it might have left a more serious aftertaste that could have hurt the overall picture.

For the most part, everything worked very well and with the exception of some very minor criticisms (Ruffalo's speech against Levine's character at Greta's apartment felt to self-indulgent, Levine risking a longtime relationship with Greta for Mimi not too credible). In the end, this is not really a love story, but much more about forgiveness. However, the most important thing here is the music of course.

I walked into Begin Again, after having to work a full day at the office on a Saturday. Suffice it to say, I wasn't in the best of moods.

So, I decided that I wanted to watch a movie that would improve my mood and also cater to my love of music. Thankfully, begin again did both.

I loved the premise; two people down on their luck in love and life join forces to make beautiful music.

The acting was wonderful. I couldn't believe Keira Knightley has such a beautiful singing voice. Her voice is light, lyrical and airy, but quite emotive. I thought she was the perfect fit for the role of Greta, not just because of her voice, but also because she brought a fragile, yet optimistic quality to Greta. There is a moment, in the movie, where she comes to a very painful realization and she plays it perfectly. Who hasn't been where her character was in that moment? Mark Ruffalo is amazing. He played the heck out of his character, who was all over the place. Loved the transformation of his character upon rediscovering his love of music. James Corden was hilarious and who knew Adam Levine could actually act? He was pretty good in this movie. I think John Carney hit gold with this cast.

The music was lovely. It's got a quiet, folksy ambiance and is quite relaxing...well, after a tough day at the office, I welcomed this. Listening to the soundtrack after work with a good, chilled glass of wine is heaven.

New York is its own character in the movie, and it, too, was great. This movie reminded me how magic New York can be. The scene where Greta and Dan walk through New York at night, sharing a headset was just magical. I actually think this is one of those scenes that may be remembered in years to come. Keira and Mark had perfect chemistry in that scene and you could feel their connection through music.

Were there weaknesses with movie, sure? It's a bit clichéd, and of course everything works out in the end. However, that didn't bother me at all, because you walk in knowing it's a feel good movie, and the movie doesn't pretend it's something that it's not.

The crowd I was watching the movie with applauded and walked out in a happy mood, and really isn't that what movies are all about? Having you feel something, walking out happy, sad or contemplative?

Ahhhhhh, another evening well spent with Mrs. Shullivan. This is a feel good film that was such a pleasant way to spend an evening forgetting the troubles in the world for a few hours. Mark Ruffalo stars as Dan, a former successful record producer who has fallen into a deep slump both in his business and personal life. Dan is separated from his wife Miriam (Catherine Keener) and rarely sees his teenage daughter Viloet (Hailee Steinfeld).

Dan's business partner Saul (Mos Def/Yasiin Bey) has just fired Dan for more than one reason. As a record producer Dan still has an old soul for music. Before firing Dan, Saul asked Dan when was the last time he had a hit. I think Dan would have preferred to respond to his old partner by stating "this morning". But Dan would be responding as if he had heard Saul ask when was the last time he had a $hit, and not a hit.

After being fired, Dan is binge drinking when a stranger on the subway hands him a pamphlet telling Dan that God is with him. Immediately after getting off the subway Dan stumbles into yet another music bar and he has an epiphany. He hears an angel singing named Gretta (Keira Knightley) and Dan envisions more than just Gretta on her acoustic guitar. This scene is both rare and memorable for both Mrs. Shullivan and myself. You see (actually the bar patrons don't see) Dan envisions in his mind while Gretta is singing solo on the stage, Gretta playing with the accompaniment of a full orchestra, which includes a drummer, guitarists, violin and a cello.

Of course Dan cannot resist introducing himself to Gretta and advises her that she is going to become famous with her songwriting and singing. The film evolves with Gretta and Dan sharing their most personal pains which include their relationships that have dissolved. Gretta's old boyfriend who she lived with for five (5) years was a singer named Dave (Adam Levine) whose career has just skyrocketed when Gretta discovers that Dave has been cheating on her with a girl named Mimi. Mark Ruffalo and Keira Knightley brought their characters to life. They were so entertaining with their very strong performances, their personal relationship that it will bring the audience close to one another hoping for a happy ending. Music is life, and life is music.

As they say, "if it doesn't kill you, it will make you stronger". So Gretta continues with her songwriting and she wants the downtrodden Dan to produce her first album. So a new journey begins when Dan's old business partner declines to produce Gretta's album so Dan recommends to Gretta that they produce the album on the city streets and landscapes of New York city as their sound stage. Gretta's only friend in New York a former London lad named Steve (James Corden) agrees to be their sound man for the album, and Dan enlists the financial assistance of an old client named Troublegum (Cee Lo Green) to hire a drummer and a lead guitarist.

Through the making of their first album, Dan brings in the rest of the musicians which include a keyboard, violin, cello, and even his daughter Violet strums a mean base guitar solo. The songs that Gretta sings around the streets and building tops of New York city are stunning both visually and through the music score are captivating songs. Much credit must be given to writer/director John Carney whose previous body of work includes the 2007 musical film Once, and the 2016 musical film Sing Street. If you see the name John Carney in any film credit there is a much stronger possibility of a hit film. You won't go wrong with Begin Again which is a beautiful, melodic, warm and a feel good film.

It is deserving of a 9 out of 10 rating.

For a movie about trying not to be cliché and cheesy, it was just that. From the portrayal of the cliché music company exec who says, "Capiche," to the all white group of alley kids extorting cigarettes suddenly cooperating to sing background vocals. The daughter, whose mother says is "Terrible" on guitar suddenly plays like Hendrix? Please! This movie was cliché after cliché and held no integrity for its art like it professed in its story. I'm puzzled at how others were able to offer such high ratings for such a ho-hum effort. Either insider connections trying to hype their friends' work or hired review writers. Not sure. Half a star for the story + half a star for the song.