Wonderful! Nearly as good as Once!

Rating: 9/10 (27 July 2014)

John Carney's follow-up to the enormously popular Once is really pretty similar to Once. This might have annoyed me if it hadn't been a few years since Once, but I didn't mind that much at all. The music isn't quite as good, and he's mostly working with Hollywood stars this time instead of musicians, but I ended up thoroughly charmed by it. Keira Knightley, playing the up-and-coming singer/songwriter trying to get over her recent heartbreak, is just luminous. She is just so damed lovable and sweet. She has a pretty good singing voice, too. Not something you haven't heard before, but it's nice. Mark Ruffalo plays the down-and-out record producer who discovers her. As cliché as the two parts may be, the actors add a lot of personality to them and they come off as real. The film also co-stars Hailee Steinfeld and Catherine Keener as Ruffalo's daughter and ex-wife. Musicians Mos Def, Adam Levine and CeeLo Green also co-star (Levine is the only one who is a decent actor; he plays Knightley's ex-boyfriend, who's becoming a mega-rock star). As I said, the songs aren't quite as good as the ones in Once. They are a lot poppier. But I wouldn't say they're any less heartfelt. The film may not have a "Falling Slowly" level song, but the one Knightley sings as a voice message to Levine is almost as good.