“Begin Again” Written and Directed by John Carney

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Director:  John Carney (“Once”)

Main Cast:

Keira Knightly (“A Dangerous Method”, “Atonement”, “The Imitation Game”)

Mark Ruffalo (“You Can Count On Me”, “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”, “Foxcatcher”)

Catherine Keener (“Living in Oblivion”, “Into the Wild”, “A Late Quartet”)

Running Time:  104 Minutes

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In my pre-Oscars write-up, I mentioned how the Oscar-nominated song “Lost Stars” from “Begin Again” reminded me of the song “Falling Slowly” from John Carney’s 2006 “Once.”  Had I researched it at all I’d have found Carney wrote and directed “Begin Again.”  Comparisons to “Once” are inevitable but don’t take away from the charm of the story, acting, and music in “Begin Again”, whose working (and more accurate) title was “How a Song Can Save Your Life.”

Kiera Knightley and Mark Ruffalo are the leads in a romantic story with a backdrop of musicians and the music industry.  Their performances make you realize how constricted they were in their Oscar-nominated roles in “The Imitation Game” and “Foxcatcher”, respectively.  It’s a pleasure seeing both able to stretch out more in “Begin Again.”  Ruffalo plays Dan, a guy whose depression-induced alcoholism gets him fired from the independent record company he co-founded.  His depression and alcoholism are a result of being separated from his music critic wife (Catherine Keener, right, always a welcome presence) after he finds out she had an affair with a singer.  Knightley plays Gretta, a songwriter who’s part of a team with her suddenly-popular musician/singer boyfriend Dave  (Maroon 5’s Adam Levine).  Gretta similarly discovers Dave is having an affair with an assistant at his record label.  Hailee Steinfeld (left, with Knightley) plays Dan’s resentful teen daughter, who he visits once a month.  Her character is so different from what she played in “True Grit” (for which she received an Oscar nomination) it’s hard to believe you’re watching the same actress, especially since she seems taller than the 5’7″ listed on her IMDB profile.

Dan hears Gretta sing and play guitar at an open-mic night and, even though he’s drunk and at the depths of his depression, he recognizes her talent and star potential (the only special effect I noticed in the film shows him visualizing her being backed by a band).  Dan presents Gretta to his now-former record label founding partner Saul (Yasiin Bey, more popularly known as Mos Def, whose name I finally understand is a shortening of the phrase “most definitely”), in the hopes of getting her signed or at least producing her demo.  Saul tells Dan record companies are not in the business of making demos for new artists.  Dan decides he and Gretta will gather musicians from various backgrounds and make an album of live performances of her songs in different parts of New York City, including alleys and rooftops.  Along with the making of the album, we see the relationships of the main characters evolve.

Other than the inclusion of Levine¹, I like everything about this movie.  I like the backdrops of Manhattan and musical performances, watching Knightley and Ruffalo in good roles, the supporting actors, and the film’s sincerity, authenticity, and charm.

DPW

March 8, 2015

¹ My opinion of Levine was forever tainted after I read an article years ago that referred to his band Maroon 5 as “Mediocre 5.” That he’s on a singing competition reality show and does acne medicine infomercials just makes him less credible. Add to that I find his music boring, his high-pitched voice annoying, and he ruins “Lost Stars” no matter how he sings it, including his performance at the Oscars. Luckily, his presence in “Begin Again” is offset by Tony-winning James Corden (as another aspiring singer/songwriter) and the rest of the film.

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