User reviews

This is a feel good movie about musicians making an album. Mark Ruffalo and Keira Knightley play producer and song writer who team up to make a demo filmed all over the city. The songs are pleasant and the characters are sympathetic and likable even Hailee Steinfeld as Mark's daughter. There is a nice dynamic between the characters which makes the movie enjoyable to watch. There is almost as much music as a musical but it doesn't feel much like a musical.

Who knew Keira could sing so well? She doesn't have the most powerful voice but her singing is musical and right for the type of songs. Mark looks suitably scruffy for the fallen on hard times composer. Nice cameo by Ceelo Green and Adam Levine who sings quite a few songs.

Movies like this are pleasant and uplifting to watch - if you want a break from action or violence of summer blockbusters.

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" didn't 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 Greta's 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 Dan's car and how he has a music cable hung up on the mirror next to a cross. There's 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, you'll 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.

First, I love that you put the song, Thinking About Your Love, by Skipworth and Turner, in this movie! I've always loved their songs, beat and talent. Great choice. The original music was also quite good! Mark Ruffalo and Keira Knightly were great, as well as his wife, Catherine Keener, who is always great, and the daughter, Hailee Steinfeld. I love the whole idea of the movie. I could imagine it was fun from the moment John Carney wrote it and set about making it in to a movie. The idea for an album is too clever. Toying with love interests also kept the movie intriguing as did the creative process that was always at work, throughout the movie. My number one judge of a good movie is did it hold my interest and this movie definitely did. I think another way of putting it would be, did the movie seem like it did not seem long, whatever the length of the movie, if it didn't seem long, then it worked, because you lost track of time by being drawn in to the story and characters. Great story and movie! I definitely recommend people go see it and hope it catches fire, because it's much better than most of the movies that are out this summer.

I was a big fan of the group the Frames and was very excited when I learned about "Once" directed by John Carney and starring Glen Hasard both members of the Frames. I enjoyed it quite a bit, but it had an almost documentary like feel to it. Begin again for me was a statement about how music affects our lives and how different songs can take on different meanings for all of us. For my wife and myself , Ben Folds the Luckiest has a special meaning in our relationship, to most others, it is just another song.

I loved how Begin Again opens with a rather banal sounding song being sung by Kiera Knightly in a small nightclub as Ruffalo stands enthralled. Then for the next 15 minutes we discover why.

The movie uses music in that way several times and I felt it really worked. Your enjoyment of the film will probably be greatly determined by what you think of the music. I happened to love it. Even that banal song soon takes on all new meaning. The entire cast is great and Ruffalo certainly delivers one of his strongest performances.

I have not seen Words and Pictures. My limited knowledge of the film is that it might have a similar theme when it comes to music in our lives. This is a little feel good movie. The kind of film that is a welcome respite in Summer blockbuster season. Last year we had the Way Way back to fill this niche. This year is is Begin Again.

This movie helped me get through a phase in a life and definitely helped me .love it yes it has its flows but whatever

Great performance by the two leading roles, fitted in a lively NYC's frame. A "theatre" performance in a Hollywood movie, I was positively impressed.

Love letters written to the city with music are not new but very likeable. It's a movie worth watching like 'once'.

In spite of a number of structural and script flaws, this tasty little gem works as well or better than any half-dozen "feel good" films that wandered out of Hollywood in the last few years. Recommended.

(One example: a key script point is when one of the characters leaves a "voice message" for another which is actually an entire song. There isn't a voice mail system on the planet which would accept that length of message. Another oddity is the casting of Hailee Steinfeld as a statuesque 14 year old teenager, a casting choice made all the stranger by the fact that she was 17 at the time of filming and looked like she was in her late 20s. In fact this actress, who played the lead in TRUE GRIT at age 13, should have a patent on looking older than she is.)

The good news? Much the same way that John Carney's script emphasizes vision as the key ingredient for a successful song, his own vision is more than enough to compensate for some of the strangeness here, and the film works very much in the style of those classic British comedies of manners we don't see much of anymore (a la 3 Weddings...) Other notes for the die-hard fans:

* Knightly and Ruffalo spent much of their careers making other actors look good. Nice to see them get a chance to make themselves look good

* Wow. Who knew Adam Levine could act? Fact is, he is a natural and comes across better here than as a judge in that infamous show. Can't say the same for Ceelo who is just as uncomfortable as an actor as he is in reality TV

* is there an award for best integrated closing credits? Not talking bloopers here, but scenes that run in the credits which actually complement the film ... best I have ever seen ... if all closing credits were this good, viewers would stay to the very end

My husband chose it on a lazy Sunday afternoon. He said it was a comedy... it surely was not. About 20 minutes in, I said this is moving very slowly and I have not laughed once. I get the premise of what's going on and I wish they would just get to the next part of the story... and they did! Thank goodness because I was about to ask him to turn it off. The rest was a little too slow for me but it was engaging. At the end I thought, no way! They leave her part open-ended?! And then they finished it. Very cool ending! There were a couple of humorous moments but it is definitely a drama. I would likely not watch it again but I would recommend it as entertaining with a nice lesson on the things that matter most in life and it ain't being famous.

This movie can put you in good mood the music the picture the story all together are wonderful, it shows you the beauty of new york and the connection between the music and the city. I recommend this movie if you're music fan.

Lovely music tracks & Story. This kind of movies are rare at this time.

"Begin Again" is a story of music, love, and loss, told with an understated yet masterful direction by Carney. The film captures the gritty beauty of New York City, and the performances by Knightley and Ruffalo are both delicate and devastating. The film's use of music is achingly beautiful and adds depth and emotion to the story. The film tells a story of a struggling musician and a record executive who discover each other and fall in love amidst the hustle and bustle of the city. The performances by the actors are raw and powerful, capturing the complexity of the characters' emotions. The story is a reminder of how fragile and fleeting love and music can be, but also how it can be used as a source of hope and healing. It is a film that stays with you long after the credits have rolled. A farewell to music and love, "Begin Again" is a true work of art.

As I am writing this Lenoard Nemoy died. Just as Star Trek took us to imaginary space continuum, this film takes us to space continuum of New York music scene. I would say non existent scene, because I never cool people like that when I lived in NYC. Although, I did live there for a short period of time, may be times have changed.

I truly enjoyed this film. I enjoyed cool, casual plot. I enjoyed the music. I enjoyed cool, casual acting. I really succeeded in relaxing while watching this film. That is a rare occurrence for me, since they make tense and visual effects filled films these days. These relaxing, art oriented film are more rare these days. Too bad! I strongly recommend that you watch this film, especially if you like relaxing, good music filled films.

I really didn't expect much from this film. I figured it might be a bit of a side project for Ruffalo and Knightley while they were both more concentrated on Foxcatcher and The Imitation Game. The inclusion of Adam Levine in an acting role also rang alarm bells.

However, I could not have been more wrong. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of this film. The relationship between the two main characters is brilliant but the real star relationship that I enjoyed was the re-connection of Ruffalo's character to his estranged daughter (played brilliantly by Hailee Steinfeld). The two of them capture a very accurate attritional relationship between an angsty teen and a failing father.

This is a lovely, feel-good, indie film that gives us an insight into a cross section of the music industry. The film is so well cast that these characters really gel and you can feel the differing relationships between them. The film does all this without falling into classic rom-com stereotypes and disengaging the audience.

It is so refreshing to see a film genuinely explore character relationships without feeling the need to force any romance story lines.

I walked out of this movie feeling like I was young all over again! When Dan's ears picked up in the bar, I was in perfect sync as well. The tune was pure magic and you would never know that Greta was anything other than an inspired writer. What I love most about Americans is their unbelievable entrepreneurial spirit and this is in evidence in spades here. I remember reading an autobiography about Twyla Tharp, a famous choreographer. She said something to the effect that "those who the gods seek to punish, they give infinite resources". This is the theme of this movie and why sometimes even if you are at the bottom of the barrel, it may be the best place to be from a creativity point of view. I loved all the characters in this film, they felt totally natural. Keira Knightley was a perfect Greta, unaffected and innocent. Mark Ruffalo was also very believable, someone who life had dealt many terrible hands, but rises about it all putting all the misery behind him and grabbing the riches of life in the present. Violet was a great guitarist, CeeLoo Green made me feel happy and Steve was the friend everyone wishes they had. Right on.

I only saw it because MArk Ruffalo was in it. He always brings great things to each role. I was expecting nothing from the movie, but maybe some good songs. It was refreshingly low key and real. To be perfectly clear I am not a musician and don't know the intricacies of singing/recording. I just enjoy music and listen to a lot and know the sounds I enjoy, So it may be not great singing/music, but I enjoyed it.

Love movies as well and this was very good. I loved every part of it. The acting was straight on as was the plot. There was no giant twist at the end, which I am grateful for, but the ending was surprising. Kiera's voice was surprisingly pleasing, or, at least unexpectedly. The plot and story lines were straightforward, but they threw some time- line change ups to make it interesting in the beginning.

How is John Carney the only filmmaker who knows how to make a contemporary musical? The "Once" filmmaker recaptures some of that film's magic in "Begin Again," a more mainstream approach for a wider American audience. With a team of terrific songwriters and a top-notch cast, "Begin Again" is a welcome reminder of why and how much we love music.

Keira Knightley and Mark Ruffalo star as a singer/songwriter and indie music producer, respectively, who both meet one night after the worst day of their lives. Ruffalo's Dan is an alcoholic separated from his wife who gets fired from the music label he built and Knightley's Gretta was just dumped by her rising music star boyfriend, Dave (Adam Levine). Dan is convinced Gretta's the one who can turn his fortunes around, and the two take a chance on each other and endeavor on a recording project that defies traditional music industry practice.

So much of "Begin Again" rides on the music. The primary trio of writers, Gregg Alexander (lead singer of The New Radicals), Danielle Brisebois (writer of Natasha Bedingfield hits "Unwritten" and "Pocketful of Sunshine") and Nick Lashley craft accessible but definitively indie acoustic pop tracks that create both moments of emotional introspection and total feel-good vibes throughout the film. It's the soundtrack that really allows the film to soak in and become so easy to enjoy.

That's why Carney's story works a little better than expected. The relationship that evolves between Dan and Gretta is a little strange and awkward, but both characters start at the bottom of the barrel and undergo personal redemption as they continue to collaborate; the music proves to have a transformative effect on their lives. Carney is fascinated with the way music impacts those who make it, and how it can literally change people's feelings and influence their actions. It's this reason that he also understands the role music plays in a film, that a film and a story can become something more in a symbiotic relationship with the music rather than a relationship in which one is clearly second to the other and merely complements it.

Ruffalo and Knightley are also the right kind of performers to help achieve the synthesis of story and song. They bring such soul to their roles. Ruffalo's strength has always been hard to pinpoint, but in "Begin Again," authenticity emerges as his strong suit. Dan is deeply troubled, but also hopeful and intensely passionate. Ruffalo helps ground the movie with his performance, bringing something raw and dramatic to a film that could've been a breezy musical romance in the wrong hands. Knightley too is terrifically cast. Gretta is a true artist repulsed by fame, who loves music in just the purest way a person can. If she were too much of a flashy Hollywood actress, her character wouldn't have been as credible.

That's a stark contrast to Levine, who in his film debut plays the antithesis to Gretta, a man too swept up in the fame and spectacle of performing that he loses sight of (what Carney believes to be) the truth of music. As a the writer of radio hit pop songs with little substance and a TV personality, Levine's superficial persona (as soulful of a guy as he might truly be) helps create the dichotomy of the music industry as Carney sees it. A Cee Lo Green cameo also has a similar effect, though in his character's case, he helps to fill out Dan's back story. So these music stars do more than simply pad the cast in order to drum up interest in the movie.

"Begin Again" has a lot to say about music and the industry; Carney does not separate his beliefs from the story. The music is truly the main character and the antagonist is anyone who tries to manipulate it from it's most authentic form: the raw, earnest expression of human emotion. This belief dictates a quite a bit of the story and ultimately what happens in the film. Carney's not the kind of filmmaker who will simply wrap things up in that cheesy escapist romantic comedy way. So those looking for total musical Hollywood bliss might not totally understand "Begin Again," but for the artists, music-lovers and creative types, it's a thoughtful film that's almost impossible not lap up.

~Steven C

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I haven't reviewed a film on IMDb in many years, but Begin Again has so much to recommend it I had to weigh in. This movie is the definition of a pleasant surprise, with excellent acting, surprisingly good music, and a plot that doesn't give in to the typical Hollywood ending. I watched this with three couples, all 40+, and everyone loved it. It also ignited a robust and lengthy conversation about the deeper meaning of the plot... which is an almost certain sign that the film hit an emotional note with its audience.

Spoiler alert! The climactic scenes leave us with a somewhat ambiguous ending, especially as it relates to the relationship between Gretta and Dave. Dave's interpretation of Gretta's song seems to make it clear to both that their differing musical visions leave them ultimately incompatible... and it appears they both recognize this. But looking at this film from a different angle shows that it also serves as a powerful metaphor for the different directions that are tearing at the music industry today, with Dave representing the high powered star making machine that emphasizes profit over artistry, and Gretta representing the indie style artist that believes that music should remain the driving motive, with the internet disintermediating the cost-laden, hit-focused legacy music industry. In the final scene at Dave's concert, they both realize that they personally, as well as the direction of the industry they each represent are both violently incompatible.

No one vision of the industry is clearly right or wrong, nor is there a singular interpretation of what happened between Dave and Gretta. But it's that ambiguity that makes this such a compelling story in the first place. Make up your own mind, or just watch this for what it is... a well acted, interesting story backed by some really good music. Enjoy.

"Begin Again" is one of those heart feel type movies that after you watch you will feel refreshed and uplifted. True it's a drama that blends emotion and starting over in life when your down in the dumps, but hey a lot of people have had to do that at some point or the other. Set in New York city it follows the life of Dan(Mark Ruffalo) who's an alcoholic and a washed up past his prime music executive. And Dan has plenty of problems he's divorced from his wife Miriam(Catherine Keener)and even though he has a daughter he sees this little miss Violet(the up and coming Hailee Steinfeld)is a head strong and easy sexy colored bra wearing young lady who likes to march to her own beat. Anyway by a chance encounter Dan meets Gretta(Keira Knightley)who's a young singer who's going thru a struggle after her now famous boyfriend has left her to sing on the big stage. Soon it's evident that Dan sees talent in Gretta and one by one beautiful music is made together the tunes are different and maybe low key yet it strikes a winning note thru emotion and love. Overall this film isn't about a musical score it's about starting over in life with the right tune thru different notes a different voice and different playing instruments.

From character building to plot management this film grips all of your attention to the end of it. With stellar performances from Mark Ruffalo, Keira Knightley and with the melodious ending song 'Lost Stars' by Adam Levine, this gripping tale of beginning the journey again will not let you get off for 1hr and 45 mints..

Carney proves that tackling familiar story and using tons of clichés are the last things that should be concerned about as long as the film is made with self-awareness and immense passion; and that Mark Ruffalo is capable of fleshing out his character quite readily, that Keira Knightley is capable of singing with a voice so pure it goes straight to your heart and that they both, surprisingly, have a rare dynamic. He also proves that films cannot only be seen, but also listened to.

(8.5/10)