User reviews

I was a big fan of ONCE - I did not see BEGIN AGAIN when it first came out and only recently watched it and I loved it. One must be in the right mood for this winning, open hearted film - it can be easily passed over as sappy or sentimental but I thought the story of two damaged people meeting each other at just the right time - to be there to help one another - is very well done and Knightley and Ruffalo are wonderful together. But what really makes the whole package work is the fantastic songs - many people were involved with the writing of the music - including Carney the writer-director but the main person behind the songs is Gregg Alexander - a very underrated, very talented musician who was the band The New Radicals in the 90's. He has a way of writing catchy melodies and Lost Stars is a marvelous song - I think my fav scene though is when they are on the rooftop and crank out that song w/ Ruffalo jamming with his daughter. Brought a smile and a tear. I'm a sucker for Carney's films because I also loved SING STREET!

From Irish director/writer John Carney (also the of the indie dark-horse ONCE (2006, 8/10), BEGIN AGAIN is an urban symphony of NYC, stars two bankable names of Knightley & Ruffalo.

Originally titled CAN A SONG SAVE YOUR LIFE?, which is more literal to describe the chance meeting between Dan Mulligan (Ruffalo) and Gretta James (Knightley), Dan is a damaged good, with the usual trappings, a middle-aged man abandoning himself to alcohol, separated with her wife Miriam (Keener) and distanced with their teenage daughter Violet (Steinfeld), once a promising executive of an indie record label, but now he is just fired by his business partner Saul (Bey) in the presence of Violet. It is the worst day of his life, and he is seriously considering to end his own life until he watches Gretta performing her own song in a bar, he is immediately attracted by her unsophisticated frankness in her music, and decides to sign her (although this is not up to him and he brings her to Saul to see if they can reach for a record deal).

For Gretta, the day they meet is assumed to be her last day in NYC, the next day she would fly back to Britain, her homeland. She has experienced a breakup with her long-time boyfriend and songwriting partner Dave Kohl (Levine), who has become a big shot in the city and cheated on her. When Saul is hesitate to sign her, Dave proposes a crack idea to live-recording an entire album al fresco, they recruit a band and then record songs in an alley, on a rooftop and various other locations. The two grow closer and a budding romance is appositely honed up when they share each other's personal play-lists while wandering on the street, yet, Carney calmly puts a stop in this corny route through Gretta's realisation that it would only be a fling between them, and obviously Dave is still hankering to reconcile with Miriam and they should be a happy family. Meanwhile, Gretta also needs to figure out the mess with Dave, who is remorseful for his wantonness and intends to win her back after Gretta leaves him a song in his voice-mail. After witnessing Dave's live performance of LOST STARS (Oscar-nominated!), which is written by Gretta, in front of an enchanted audience, she finally has the epiphany that she cannot be a part of Dave's new rock star lifestyle, a painful closure seems to be the right thing to do.

Finally, their album is accomplished, but Gretta opts for an alternative distribution circuit, she decides to sell the album in 1$ exclusively through internet, and it turns out to be a smash while Dave and Miriam reconnect their romance. Although the success of the album is a bit implausible and only can happen in a fanciful mind, otherwise the original soundtrack would become a much more sought-after commodity, apparently, one must love the soundtrack to take this film as a guilty pleasure, nevertheless, it is definitely a soothing experience to see Knightley in her most relaxed state against an always-unobjectionable Ruffalo, and it is a splendid date flick for hipsters in the built-up areas - we are all lost stars, a speck of dust within the galaxy, trying to light up the dark.

Mark Ruffalo and Keira Knightley looks great together. The subtleness of Mark and freshness of Keira is the soul of this movie. James Cordon also paid full justice to the role.

Watching Begin Again reminds us so much of summertime in New York City that you are almost transported, but luckily you get to skip the hot garbage smell.

Begin Again is a sweet little film about redemption and staying true to yourself, all set in the vibrant city of New York, where music and location are integral characters in the story.

Dan (Mark Ruffalo) used to be a top music executive, but personal problems and a lack of a 'star' has caused him to slip in reputation at his label. Unceremoniously released, he goes on a binge to drown his sorrows, which leads him to a bar in the East Village where Gretta (Keira Knightley) is performing. To him, she sounds like gold. Gretta is very resistant in signing to any major label because she refuses to compromise her art. Also, her long time love and songwriting partner Dave (Adam Levine) recently got a record deal and then everything changed for the worse. From this encounter, Dan and Gretta collaborate to create the music he knows she has deep within her raw talent, and in doing so emerges the powerful transformative ability from music.

Begin Again manages to hit all the right notes (Don't hate me, I couldn't help it!) in being a sweet summer film perfect for a light watch on a summer evening. There is something sentimental without being obnoxious and I do believe it comes from the writer/director John Carney's own love and appreciation of music. There is a striking adherence and devotion to music, composition and authenticity that resonates throughout the entire film which can only be possible thanks to the film's creator.

As a film about music, songwriters and performing – all the actors involved do a super job, especially Keira Knightley whose singing ability was a virtual unknown prior to this film. Begin Again focuses on the underground alternative/indie scene which is supplementary to her soft and possibly unsure singing style. James Corden who plays Steve, Gretta's old schoolmate and only friend in NYC, is a breath of fresh air in every scene. His energy and innate ability is captivating and his character is a nice antithesis to Adam Levine's contrived douchiness as Dave.

So if you find yourself longing for summer on a cold winter night or in need of a delightful film for a casual one-time watch then Begin Again is your girl.

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Dan Mulligan (Mark Ruffalo) is a drunken executive of an indie record label. He headed A&R at Island Records for 2 years before starting his own label Distressed Records with Saul Byron (Yasiin Bey). However he has been down and out for years. He's separated from his wife Miriam (Catherine Keener) and estranged from his daughter Violet (Hailee Steinfeld). He gets fired from his own label and then he sees Gretta James (Keira Knightley) performing at a bar after she's pushed onto the stage by her friend Steve (James Corden). She had come to NYC with boyfriend Dave Kohl (Adam Levine). Dave became an overnight success after his music got onto a movie. He cheated on her and they broke up right before that night at the bar.

Writer/director John Carney fails to relive the same magic as his big breakout 'Once'. It would be a disservice to dismiss this movie for failing to jump that high bar. It's hard to capture magic twice especially in a similar fashion. My first opinion as I watched the movie is that Dan is from another era and Carney is past his due date. Then it turns out that Dan is actually coming from another era. His character quickly grows on me. Keira Knightley is a great actress but only an adequate singer. On the other hand, Adam Levine is the exact opposite. They're both good enough at their weaker sides to make this movie work. Their scenes together are good with Keira doing most of the heavy lifting. Keira's singing is weak but the group production is able to pump her up. James Corden adds a little fun. I was also a little hesitant about the flashbacks and forwards until the imaginary musical instruments scene. That is a wonderful touch. It's also a terrific love note to NYC.

lovable movie ,, amazing Casting ,, the songs, the directing , i already started downloading the soundtracks . so the movie started in two separated paths ,one for the singer (Gretta) and one for the producer (Dan) two different perspectives that led to the moment they met... so that was a nice touch. the plot was so real,it seemed like it really represented the music industry.-. honestly tho, Keira Knightley's laugh is mad ,, it's magical with her little tilted tooth,, gosh she's gorgeous ;) the ending was also unpredictable ,, loved the way it was wrapped up. overall, it was a really good movie. and being nominated for the music at least was justifiable.

Ok, I was a bit emotional going in because I once again got my own hopes and dreams crushed today and I needed a feel good movie to try and forget about real life for a second. But boy did Begin Again deliver! I might have liked it a little more than I should because of my state of mind but even on a regular day I'd find this it pretty solid. Yes, it's not the most original plot but everything comes together very nicely with very strong performances from Keira Knightley and Mark Ruffalo. And the songs are all pretty decent. All of this makes for a very enjoyable and entertaining film I do recommend, especially if you feel down!

'm a big fan of Keira Knightley. I love her in period drama's such as Pride and Prejudice and The Duchess.

I think the essence of the film was delivered well by the cast. Mark Ruffalo, who plays an eccentric ex-record executive added fun to the film. I wouldn't say this film gave Keira's best performance but she was still enjoyable to watch. I thought that the music was lovely and Adam Levine's voice was as always, astoundingly beautiful. As a singer/songwriter, it definitely reminded me how much music feeds souls like mine and it made me feel like I wanted to randomly busk in the middle of the cinema just for the love of it! An enjoyable feel-good and inspiring film to watch.

I love good musical movies, and like the idea of a star being given the chance to be a star storyline. This type of movie has been done countless times, most often they seem to fail and fail miserably. This one has a lot of redeeming features, namely the soundtrack. To say the music is good is an understatement, and if you are trying to decide if this movie deserves your time or money, it does but mostly for the music.

It's really obvious that Keira Knightly can't play the guitar, she can carry a tune through, as her singing is decent. In fact all the actors hired to pretend to be musician are just that, actors, not musicians. Mark Ruffalo's daughter in the movie can't even hold a guitar pic right, all of which makes this disturbing, why couldn't the producers/directors at least hire musicians to play musicians? Wouldn't that add some authenticity to their movie? With all that said, if you can look beyond what I previously said, this is an enjoyable movie. It's very predictable, the acting is very weak, the storyline is equally weak, but it is a feel good enjoyable, life is good type light-weight movie that I recommend, mostly because of the exceptional supporting soundtrack.

The actors are all wonderful and yes Keira Knightly pulls it off and sings just fine. Other reviewers saying can't sing are just wrong. Mark Ruffalo is always dependably fantastic. The only scenes that I was surprised about were one, how Kiera discovers the truth about her boyfriend, (played fairly convincingly by Adam Levine). We were both said, huh? Seriously?

The other was a random scene near the end where James Corden challenged the people at the party stand frozen in place and not succumb to dancing while a non Kiera Knightly song played on the sound system. It was awkward and weird, screaming to be cut on to the editor's floor.

The ending of the film was terrific. Just right. Very enjoyable watch!

Begin Again (2013) I saw this hidden gem recently. Very occasionally a movie comes along which uplifts our spirits while being practical and not preachy. This is not a love story but a movie about love and music. There is so much music in the movie yet not a movie about music - it's about people who appreciate good music.

I loved the original songs, it was so relatable and comes scattered across the movies length. Both Mark Ruffalo as an alcoholic down-and-out music producer and Keira Knightly as musician songwriter who hasn't realized her full potential did an amazing job - and she sings!!!

Lovely cameos from Adam Levine as a popular singer. CeeLo Green as himself and James Gorden as a struggling musician - what a wonderful surprise. The ever wonderful Catherine Keener as Ruffalo's divorced wife was just apt and very true to role. Hailey Steinfeld Violet (who I am beginning to be a serious fan of) - Such heavy talent at such an young age. She did a brilliant job in True Grit when she was even younger (acted with stalwarts 3-4 times her age) and still made a mark.

There is a scene in the movie where everyone comes together and while weighing options just all of a sudden decide to shoot songs in iconic New York places - It was so extempore and so real. There is another scene where you relive the same moment from 2 different perspectives and one from Mark Ruffalos view was - in many ways the "woah" moment for me which makes believe there is still magic left in movies..

The song "Lost Stars" was a nominee for best original song in Oscars that year and Keira can sing - quite impressive!

At the end I was amazed on how my mood changed for good. It wasn't the laughs, wasn't the music or the complications of the protagonist's love life; it was a gentle reminder that there is no perfection in life - if we don't give up on love and ourselves - there is a rainbow waiting. And that my friends is what I love in a movie.

What a lovely film. ALL the actors were excellent in this one. The characters flowed, the story had emotional depths. Flippin good music too.

Keira Knightley is beautiful as always, nice to see her gentle side in the video. Director left room for hers and Mark Ruffalo's characters to develope gracefully. Was touching.

Thanks everyone for a lovely film. Definately going in my favourates list. Would like a part 2 if youre up for it.

Cute movie, didn't go much on the songs (except their song at the end), but Keira and Ruffalo had a great connection. Well worth seeing.

At first I wasn't expecting much about this movie, I'd seen some of the scenes on tv but never watched it complete. Today I decided to watch it completely and I really had a good time. Although it has many songs such as a musical I really liked them, even to the point I added some to my playlist in Apple Music. Really good performing of Keira and Ruffalo in their characters.

A sweet drama with focus on music, starring Mark Ruffalo and Keira Knightley. I liked it.

This is the movie that I bought the music track for the first time. It is featuring Adam Levine from Maroon 5, why not? And one of my favourite actresses, Keira Knightley is on. Perfect combination and therefore so should be the movie. }but after I saw it,I barely remember the detailed points: what is the character's name, what happened between the 2 etc... This movie's storu is not remaining in everybody's mind because it does not have so much dramatic moments. But music is great so worthwhile to watch it.

I enjoyed the movie, mainly because of the music, the soundtrack is awesome. The story is there for the music. The story is the background for the music, the reason for the music, since this movie is about song writers and producing music. It is a fun story, engaging, but not real. Either things go real downwards or so they say, or upwards. When upwards, everything goes so smooth. The characters are so one dimensional, no real human interaction, no emotions, even though they mention real heavy staff, but none of it really gets into the movie. Everything is for the music and the music is so much fun. Real great music. This movie made me want to here that music on and on.

John Carney's Begin Again is a nice little somewhat "feel good" musical set in New York. The film features some very good performances and the songs are also memorable and well written.

Begin Again tells the story of Greta (played by Keira Knightley) and her boyfriend/college sweetheart, named Dave (played by Adam Levine of Maroon 5 and The Voice making his feature film debut), who are songwriter partners. Their relationship hits a rocky road when Dave lands a major deal in Los Angeles and strays away from Greta, leaving her on her own. She is discovered on an east village stage by a washed up divorced record label executive named Dan (played by Mark Ruffalo), who takes to her talent and tries to make her a name. As the two begin their collaboration, they run into some problems along the way.

There are some clear character arcs in the story as well. Dan, for example, goes from being an unlikeable drunk who is a disgraced and fired record producer, to having his job back, as well as improving his relationship with his daughter. Similarly, Greta goes from being a love-struck songwriter with no real ambitions to being an ambitious songwriter/singer who can clearly think on her own. The stories of these two characters parallel each other well. Other character arcs include Dan's daughter, Violet (played by Hailee Steinfeld), who seems to have limited screen time (disappearing after the first ten minutes and not reappearing until an hour in), going from an angst-ridden daughter to discovering her talents for playing guitar. While Dave, Greta's lover, goes from being an ambitious songwriter/singer to understanding just what fame is doing to him, in a story-arc that is almost like the opposite of Greta's.

The acting in the film is very good. Mark Ruffalo has gained some weight, and is showing his age. When he talks to Knightley near the end of the film and says "you know nothing", he delivers that line with such energy and force, it is terrific. Keira Knightly herself comes off as rather bitchy at the beginning of the film, but by the end, she develops into a finer character, even if her performance at times can feel emotionless. Hailee Steinfeld, as Ruffalo's daughter, is wasted and brings nothing to the table. Similarly, Catherine Keener is wasted as Ruffalo's ex, and her character is treated like your typical divorced nagging ex-wife. In his major film debut, singer Adam Levine has a nice voice, but his performances are, at times, bland, though his scenes with Knightley do show good moments of acting. Additionally, of note in the cast are Mos Def (under the alias Yasiin Bey!!!) as the owner of the record studio and Ceelo Green as a character named Troublegum, as a performer (basically playing himself).

The songs are really nicely done. One of my favorite scenes in the film is when Knightley and Ruffalo are walking down the streets of New York and they manage to incorporate "Luck Be a Lady" by Frank Sinatra in a way that gave me a feeling of happiness and excitement. The majority of the original songs are written by Gregg Alexander and Nick Lashley (director John Carney himself contributed to two songs, including "Like a Fool" which has to do with trusting people. Knightley herself has a nice singing voice (having been trained by a voice specialist), and songs like "Lost Stars" and "A Higher Place" are good and having meaning. There are many good performances, even if some of the characters exist solely for the purpose of having real nice songs played. Given Carney's previous film, Once, one should probably not be surprised, as that film also dealt with music.

Begin Again has a very pleasing tone to it. The songs, along with the character arcs, contribute to the films overall style. Definitely worth checking out.

For a movie I've never heard of before and just stumbled upon, I was pleasantly surprised. It was a feel good story with a positive message from start to finish. The acting and quality were also pretty good.

Rather than a musical (where characters burst into sung dialogue) this is a movie about music: its very nature, it's creative spark, the bastardization of commercial music, how music elevates the mundane or just the magic of music to crystallize a moment. This is a love song to music. It is also a love song to New York. The story telling is all over the place because character arcs are not the point of the movie. There is some solid casting choices, nonetheless, and I'm pretty sure that Kiera Knightley, Mark Ruffalo (and, maybe, Adam Levine or a fledgling Hailee Steinfeld) were the hooks for the film. I give this film a 7 (good) out of 10. {Light Drama}