"Twice" a charm

Rating: Null/10 (3 August 2014)

It's bin a while since I've seen a full-blown Indie musical. This one qualifies, even though it's no more than a re-tread of Carney's far-superior 'Once'. I've been meaning for the team behind 'Once' to do something together, and create that magic once again (pun definitely intended), but I did not mean for Carney to take that this literally and self-cannibalize his own work.
To be kind to all those involved in the making though, I'll have to say that this one's a spiritual sibling to that masterpiece, with some great music, which still pales in comparison to the original.
Lonely once/never-successful leads? Check. One of the characters selling out/involved with someone selling out? Check. Good music, a combo of something eclectic and Indie, as well as a couple of commercial numbers? Check. Hand-held cams? Check. A bunch of small-timers rallying around our leads when needed? Check. An unconventional way to make an album? Check. And many more comparisons to 'Once'? Check, check check....Not mentioning certain spoilers about the lead pair's chemistry and eventual denouement.
In spite of all that, I'm sure many haven't seen 'Once', and for them, this work will be a revelation - it'll be like a breath of fresh air.
For me, the take-aways were Mark Ruffalo's ever-dependable acting chops, and some of the candor that went into the writing. Knightley's alright, Keener and Steinfeld are wasted (not literally, the alcoholic part of it is left to Ruffalo's character).
What was surprising to me is the turn made by Adam Levine (Maroon 5) in a role that's almost like a callback to his real-life character, exposing the non-Indie music industry's shallowness with a viciousness that must've struck close to home for someone like him, and it was refreshing to see him tackle it with gusto, and like I said, it's really weird too.
Definitely worth a watch, on the big screen, esp. when I did not expect it to be releasing locally at all (it's playing in the smallest multiplex screen for 1 show/night for 1 week, so there). Go watch it.