Light, airy, meaningful and melodic **spoilers included**

Rating: Null/10 (20 July 2014)

I walked into Begin Again, after having to work a full day at the office on a Saturday. Suffice it to say, I wasn't in the best of moods.
So, I decided that I wanted to watch a movie that would improve my mood and also cater to my love of music. Thankfully, begin again did both.
I loved the premise; two people down on their luck in love and life join forces to make beautiful music.
The acting was wonderful. I couldn't believe Keira Knightley has such a beautiful singing voice. Her voice is light, lyrical and airy, but quite emotive. I thought she was the perfect fit for the role of Greta, not just because of her voice, but also because she brought a fragile, yet optimistic quality to Greta. There is a moment, in the movie, where she comes to a very painful realization and she plays it perfectly. Who hasn't been where her character was in that moment? Mark Ruffalo is amazing. He played the heck out of his character, who was all over the place. Loved the transformation of his character upon rediscovering his love of music. James Corden was hilarious and who knew Adam Levine could actually act? He was pretty good in this movie. I think John Carney hit gold with this cast.
The music was lovely. It's got a quiet, folksy ambiance and is quite relaxing...well, after a tough day at the office, I welcomed this. Listening to the soundtrack after work with a good, chilled glass of wine is heaven.
New York is its own character in the movie, and it, too, was great. This movie reminded me how magic New York can be. The scene where Greta and Dan walk through New York at night, sharing a headset was just magical. I actually think this is one of those scenes that may be remembered in years to come. Keira and Mark had perfect chemistry in that scene and you could feel their connection through music.
Were there weaknesses with movie, sure? It's a bit clichéd, and of course everything works out in the end. However, that didn't bother me at all, because you walk in knowing it's a feel good movie, and the movie doesn't pretend it's something that it's not.
The crowd I was watching the movie with applauded and walked out in a happy mood, and really isn't that what movies are all about? Having you feel something, walking out happy, sad or contemplative?