Begin Again – review

 

Begin Again follows Dan (Mark Ruffalo) a music industry exec, who has recently lost his job, his wife and his daughter and his only friend is his hip flask. (he does however have a pretty sweet Mark 10 Jaguar). He meets by happenstance, Greta (Keira Knightley), a lonely little indie hipster recently broken up with her soon to be famous popstar boyfriend. They bond over music and decide to record an album together.

Can I tell you something up front? English girls aren’t called Greta. You won’t find one in the UK unless she is actually Swedish or maybe German. She should be called Sarah or Rebecca or something. This bothered me.

Excusing the occasional naff conversation on artistic integrity and the increasingly disturbing facial hair attaching itself to Adam Levines face, I was surprised to find myself really enjoying Begin Again.

Mark Ruffalo puts in another good performance, he is such an underrated actor, one of those people that puts in a good performance no matter the movie. Even if he looks like a curly haired scruff bag and talks like he can’t be bothered to open his mouth, he is watchable. I have also discovered I am a Keira Knightley fan, this film made me realise that I have seen a lot of her films (yes even London Boulevard and The Hole) I like her and her wonky English teeth.

I even liked James Corden, who is usually irritating. Hailee Steinfeld has cornered the market in unhappy teen girl in really high shoes, Catherine Keener is underused  and Adam Levine gets one too many songs to sing.

Begin Again feels like a summer movie, and an ode to music and New York. The album they record on the streets and rooftoops of New York looks like a lot of fun, if they are enjoying themselves then you know what, so am I, even if I think all the songs sound the same. And that is Knightley doing her own singing. I also like that there is no romance between the main characters, this make a refreshing change.

I enjoyed Begin Again, take it for its idealistic and optimistic charm.