| Release date: 7 September 2013 (TIFF) Genre: Music, drama, comedy IMDb rating: 7.4 Director: John Carney Cast: Keira Knightley, Mark Ruffalo, Adam Levine, Hailee Steinfeld, James Corden, Catherine Keener |
Even though I enjoyed John Carney’s musical drama ‘Once’, it left me wanting more than it offered. So when I learned that he directed another similar musical film with big Hollywood stars I definitely had to check it out. And that’s ‘Begin Again’.
Released in 2014, ‘Begin Again’ tells the story of recently heartbroken singer-songwriter Gretta and recently unemployed record label executive Dan who meet by chance and decide to make an album together. The whole movie felt like one big musical number and I don’t mean that in an all-style no substance way. I meant it in the manner that the film’s got its own rhythm and you can’t help but flow along with it. That kind of cheer and happiness is infectious.
There aren’t any actors I particularly dislike and hence I generally enjoy everybody’s work. But Keira Knightley always has that special ability to light up whatever scene she is in with that smile of hers. So it was no surprise that Keira Knightley’s Gretta was my most favorite character of the whole bunch. We all know Knightley can act but she sings just as well and it’s oh so sweet to hear. She did a great job of making us love Gretta with her resolve to make her own kind of music who is also navigating through the remnants of her broken relationship. Also major props to Mark Ruffalo who played Dan. Dan is not the easiest guy to work with and the circumstances of his personal life are not that great either. But I’m glad that Ruffalo found the middle ground in his portrayal of Dan which made him memorable and not just one note. The film also has a bevy of supporting characters with the likes of Adam Levine (yes that one), Catherine Keener, Hailee Steinfeld, and James Corden. Even though they all don’t get the same importance, they do get to shine in their time.
Obviously, a musical film needs to have good musical numbers and moments and this film doesn’t disappoint in that aspect. A main part of the plot revolves around Gretta and Dan going around New York City with their band to record live music. Those portions were done really beautifully. Without giving the music the entire focus the film also does a good job of weaving in the story inside these montages (like Dan’s daughter Violet getting her moment to shine). Apart from this, there were also little intimate music moments like Dan and Gretta traipsing through New York night with a headphone splitter sharing their favorite songs or Gretta’s boyfriend Dave recording her singing ‘Lost Stars‘ (a really favorite song of mine now). These little moments made the film shine and all the more beautiful. It’s also at this moment I should appreciate the lively and bright cinematography that added to this musical magic.
When the movie started I was under the impression that it was more or less a remake of ‘Once’ and my expectations sank. Luckily it was not.
Surely enough the films share some similarities but they’re also poles apart.
While ‘Once’ was more about the musical journey and relationship between the two protagonists, ‘Begin Again’ also gave focus to the supporting characters who directly had an effect on our protagonists coupled with a more fleshed out story while keeping the main focus on the relationship between Gretta and Dan. For these reasons, I prefer ‘Begin Again’ more than ‘Once’ but ultimately they’re both musical journeys worth checking out.
Musical movies don’t get the same love as dramas or comedies do but I love them (#TeamLaLaLand).
When a good musical number is interspersed with the right moment, it’s nothing less than magic. ‘Begin Again’ has many such moments and that definitely warrants a watch!
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My verdict – 8/10
