Review: 3 1/2 out of 4 stars.John Carney is back with a new musical. His 2006 film Once is one of my favorite films of all time and I was interested to see where Carney would go next. Watching the trailers for Begin Again didnt give me much hope for it, but just enough for me to go out and see it. I enjoyed it much more than I expected though.Begin Again is very similar to Once, except Carney has a bigger budget and famous movie stars. It deals with Dan and Greta (Mark Ruffalo and Keira Knightley, respectively) who after being cheated on by their former boyfriend/girlfriend meet up and record some songs together. Ruffalo is great as the down on his luck, charming, but often drunk, music producer Dan. Knightley also has a solid performance. Adam Levine does a good job of being a jerk and James Corden is hilarious as Gretas busking friend Steve. The films has themes of love, fatherhood, and the way we use music in our lives.Begin Again is for all the music lovers out there who enjoy creating music. The movie is filled with characters whose religion is music. Look at Dans car and how he has a music cable hung up on the mirror next to a cross. Theres a great moment when Dan listens to Greta perform for the first time. What is just a voice and guitar slowly grows into something much bigger and beautiful. The soundtrack is more poppy compared to the folk songs in Once, but they are nice to listen to.This film is the movie you kind of have to be in the mood for to really enjoy. It can be predictable and sappy at times, but it does it well. If you accept it for what it is, youll enjoy it. Begin Again is a musical treat this summer that will leave you wanting to listen to more music and maybe even creating some of your own. |
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