Begin Again (2013)

Rating: 10/10 (17 November 2015)

I enjoy watching this film. It is one of the best of 2014 – one of the best films ever. It always brings about feelings of nostalgia of the time when it came out. It's funny because although I was interested in seeing it at the time of its release, it was basically because of it being an antidote to the current summer blockbusters. I had no idea it would hit me as hard as it has. To sum it up it is essentially a film of people recording an album on the streets of New York. There are a lot of other things going on beyond that but that is ultimately what the film is. It is like a love letter to New York City and a compelling look into the lives of the characters. It always takes me back to the summer of 2014. It was playing in theaters as I was starting anew and there is a summery feel to it. Music is a big part of the movie so it helps to be music knowledgeable. The thing I love about a lot of the music is that it doesn't cater to popularity. One may consider that the music in this film may be targeted towards hipsters, or something to that effect, but I honestly feel it is more genuine than that. Keira Knightley sings beautifully on songs such as Lost Stars, A Step You Can't Take Back and Tell Me If You Wanna Go Home. I love the musical interlude during that song. I also love the scene when she sings Like a Fool. Most notably is Coming up Roses; it is during a daytime scene when the musicians are recording it in a back alley. Another noteworthy scene is when For Once in My Life by Stevie Wonder is playing as Keira Knightley and Mark Ruffalo are walking around and through Times Square. Another highlight is the song A Higher Place sung by Adam Levine. He, too, is exceptional. It is a wonderful film. It would be worth having; including the soundtrack.