REVIEW: Begin Again (2014)
Cast: Keira Knightley, Mark Ruffalo, Adam Levine, James Corden
Synopsis: When Dan’s record label fires him and Greta’s boyfriend leaves her to become a huge success in the music industry, both find themselves at a lose end in New York. One night, they meet and Dan decides to produce an album for Greta to get her a record deal after hearing her sing. The two round up a group of musicians and produce an album all over the city, managing to make the most of what life has to offer and start over...
This romance/drama, directed by Irish producer, screenwriter and director John Carney, is a feel-good film that focuses on the story of an aspiring musician and a failed record label producer. The film has a very raw feel to it, coming across to viewers as though the actors are just improvising the whole time – the handheld camera shots also add to this rawness, with the film appearing to be anything but scripted/staged.
A lot of the music heard throughout is written by Adam Levine, one of the actors in the film and lead singer of Maroon 5. This definitely shines through as the style of music is very much like that of their albums. The song ‘Lost Stars’ is a personal favourite of mine, as it summarises the failed relationship between Greta and Dave in the film. The supporting soundtrack for the film, including this song, is very good and would be worth a listen on its own.
In my opinion, the location for ‘Begin Again’ is spot on. New York is said to be a city of many different emotions, acting similarly to the film and all its mood changes. In one of the film’s sequences, Greta and Dan are seen walking through the city listening to music through shared earphones, blocking out the world around them. This is one of my favourite scenes, not just because of the stunning cinematography but because even though they both have their struggles, they forget about them for a while and zone out to the music.
Even though the main actors are Knightley and Ruffalo, Corden and Devine do shine through in their roles. James Corden plays the supportive friend to Greta who sticks by no matter what, whereas Devine plays her ex-boyfriend whose ego got in the way of their relationship. As well as these, Hailee Steinfeld (the moody teenage daughter of Dan) plays the part excellently, shocking viewers when she turns out to put her teenage issues aside and adds valuable guitar skills to the album Greta’s making.
Despite Begin Again being a feel-good film, there are a few dark elements presented throughout. We as viewers are shown heartbreak, loss, failure and separation. But the overall message of the film is about coming together as a community in tough times, which is something I believe we could all take away and apply to everyday life. I would definitely recommend this film to everyone, but more specifically those who appreciate good music and are in the mood for a feel-good film! (also Maroon 5 fans)
