Review // Begin Again

John Carney captured lightning in a bottle with 2007’s Once. The film – made on a shoestring budget – cast two (relative) non-actors in the lead roles as struggling musicians who find love on the streets of Dublin. The film was a pleasant surprise, and went on to become a Broadway hit as well as bolster the careers of its leads Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová (aka The Swell Season). It was one of the great stories of 2007, helped along by the rumours of a real (if short-lived) romance between the leads. All of these factors made Once an indie darling, and propelled it forward to an eventual Oscar win for Best Original Song. With his newest, the Irish director attempts a similar formula: two musicians brought together in a doomed romance by the power of art.

Begin Again follows Greta (Keira Knightley) a young singer-songwriter who comes to New York from Great Britain with her boyfriend and writing partner Dave (Adam Levine). Upon arriving, it quickly becomes clear that Dave is an ascending star in the music biz and that his handlers have little time for Greta, despite the fact that she wrote some of Dave’s biggest hits. Soon Dave is corrupted by his sudden success and breaks things off with Greta, leaving her alone in New York City.

On the eve of her sorrowful return to England, Greta is convinced by her friend Steve (James Corden) to play a show in one of the city’s many dingy open mics. It’s here where she catches the eye of Dan (Mark Ruffalo), a down-on-his-luck record producer drowning his sorrows at the bar. After an impressive sequence where Dan orchestrates an entire production around Greta in his mind, the two are out on the streets with Dan pleading with her to make a record with him. Hesitantly, Greta agrees and the two formulate a plan to record an album all around New York City.

Knightley and Ruffalo both give strong performances, with special mention going to Knightley who recorded all of her own songs in the film. She’s magnetic in the lead role and could – in another life – have been the singer/songwriter she portrays. Ruffalo is a great piece of casting and the actor clearly enjoys filling the middle-aged Dan with a lifetime’s worth of prejudices and resentments. He’s equal parts prickle and pathos, but his complete meltdown at the beginning is a little under explained. Nevertheless the pair have a great chemistry on screen. Levine is inspired casting as the sleazy ex-boyfriend, and Yasiin Bey and James Corden make the most of their limited screen time.

The main focus of the film is the music however, and Carney is in his element when he lets songs do the talking between his characters. Like Once, it’s a love letter to music’s ability to connect disparate souls. However unlike Once there is no tentpole love-story at the film’s heart to hammer this message home. While Knightley and Ruffalo have their moments, it’s pretty clear it’s not to be from the start. And while there are ample opportunities for a more familial love story as Dan attempts to reconnect with his wife (Catherine Keener) and daughter (Hailee Steinfeld) these angles remain rather under-developed.

While it’s a little slicker and a little less sweet, Begin Again is a worthy follow-up to Once. Lightning doesn’t strike twice, but John Carney seems to have a good enough understanding of what worked in the indie-hit to translate it to a larger film. The music is catchy and full of hooks and all the characters so darn likeable you can’t help but be entertained. If you’re in the market for a feel good film, you couldn’t do better this weekend!

Reviewed by Evan Arppe.

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