A movie about becoming

Rating: 9/10 (27 December 2017)

This movie could have failed SO hard. It could have felt cliche or teen movie-ish or like it was trying too hard. But Carney somehow captures the magic again. The story feels fresh, and the characters feel real. Every time the band changed style and sound, I thought "yes." Because the movie chose not to be about arriving somehow...but about becoming. About trying. About failing. That is where "Begin Again" faltered, honestly. And that real-ness allowed the predictable moments here to be not just forgiven but embraced. As the music gelled and the people connected, you just had to cheer.