Keira Knightley
Mark Ruffalo
Hailee Steinfeld
Adam Levine
James Corden
Yasiin Bey
CeeLo Green
Catherine Keener

John Carney

104 mins.
Drama, Music
July 11, 2014

Rated R for language. (MPAA)

“Begin Again,” written and directed by John Carney, is a calculated mess of a film. It mimics its main character, played by Mark Ruffalo. A hand-held camera provides images from multiple angles.

The first fourth of “Begin Again” is aimless; it lacks a narrative drive. The problem is that the focusing energy of this film comes from the interaction between Ruffalo and Keira Knightley, but that interaction isn’t always front and center. They have a nice chemistry together. Their banter works, and they work well together. Whenever this film loses them, via flashbacks and as a result of tying up the loose ends of those flashbacks, it stalls a bit.

There are two major flashbacks that each lead up to the point when Ruffalo and Knightley first meet at a bar:

First, Ruffalo’s flashback depicts the day when he’s fired from his job as a record executive and leads up to the night of their meeting. He just can’t get his act together; we find out why, later on. Plus, he has an estranged wife, played by Catherine Keener, and a teenage daughter, played by Hailee Steinfeld, who dresses provocatively and doesn’t know him as well as she should. What a surprise.

Second, Knightley’s flashback depicts her former relationship with a star musician, played by Maroon 5’s Adam Levine. Needless to say, that relationship ends badly.

I think that the information from the flashbacks could’ve been integrated more fully into the main plot line: the creation of an album that’s being recorded outdoors in New York City, on a shoestring budget. Also, the resolution of those flashbacks doesn’t add much.

Again, the strength of “Begin Again” is the relationship between Knightley and Ruffalo. There are just too many clichéd distractions from that relationship to result in something compelling.

In “Once,” Carney’s previous film release in the States, the central relationship is the consistent unifying force. “Once” works much better, as a result. And it’s no surprise that it was a breakout hit. You see, creating an interesting central relationship between a man and a woman is this writer-director’s strength. He doesn’t use that enough in this film.

The music is good, though; no denying that. It gives “Begin Again” a nice, easy energy when it’s allowed to drive the plot. That doesn’t always happen. Knightley’s singing is just good enough to work for her character, too.

Overall, “Begin Again” is a good film that, unfortunately, lacks a consistent driving force.

Verdict: Good

About: (Source: beginagain)

The latest film from writer-director John Carney (ONCE), BEGIN AGAIN is a soul-stirring comedy about what happens when lost souls meet and make beautiful music together. Gretta (Keira Knightley) and her long-time boyfriend Dave (Adam Levine) are college sweethearts and songwriting partners who decamp for New York when he lands a deal with a major label. But the trappings of his new-found fame soon tempt Dave to stray, and a reeling, lovelorn Gretta is left on her own. Her world takes a turn for the better when Dan (Mark Ruffalo), a disgraced record-label exec, stumbles upon her performing on an East Village stage and is immediately captivated by her raw talent. From this chance encounter emerges an enchanting portrait of a mutually transformative collaboration, set to the soundtrack of a summer in New York City. The film is produced by Anthony Bregman at Likely Story, Tobin Armbrust of Exclusive Media and Judd Apatow at Apatow Productions.