Begin Again

Plot synopsis:
Dan Mulligan (Mark Ruffalo) is a formerly successful record label executive living in New York City who is estranged from his wife Miriam and struggling to keep up with the changing music industry. After being fired from his job, he goes on a drinking binge which leads him to a bar in the Lower East Side where he encounters Gretta James (Keira Knightley). Gretta is a young and fiercely independent songwriter from England who has just broken up with her long-time boyfriend and songwriting partner Dave Kohl (Adam Levine), a newly successful musician who had an affair with one of his producers' assistants. Captivated by Gretta's music, Dan offers her to sign her to his former record label, and although she initially refuses she reconsiders the offer and agrees.Dan and Gretta meet with Saul, Dan's business partner and co-founder of their record label, but he does not see the same potential in Gretta and turns her away. Undeterred, Dan proposes that he and Gretta produce their own album together, to be recorded live during the summer at various public locations around New York City. Recruiting a team of talented musicians, including Gretta's best friend Steve, Dan sets out to make an album worthy of being published by his label. During this time, Dan and Gretta bond both personally and professionally, and Gretta takes Dan's teenage daughter Violet, a fledgling guitarist, under her wing and encourages her to play on the album. When the album is finished, Dan and Gretta meet again with Saul, who is very impressed with their collaboration. Gretta demands that Saul give Dan his job back and give her a bigger share in the deal. They leave without reaching an agreement, but Dan feels confident that Saul will eventually sign Gretta to the label.When Gretta sees Dave accepting an award on television, she criticizes him for selling out to the music industry and she expresses her grievances with him in a song which she records on his voice mail. A remorseful Dave, who is back in New York to promote his new album, returns her call and asks to see her. After some consideration, she decides to meet with him and they critique each other's albums. Gretta feels betrayed by Dave's heavily commercialized rendition of "Lost Stars," a love ballad she had once written and composed for him as a Christmas present, believing that the true meaning of the song has been lost. Dave tells her that the audiences love when he plays it in the new way, and that their energy fills the room. He believes that music is about sharing it with people, but Gretta tells him that's not what she intended for that song. Nevertheless, Dave invites her to come and hear him play the song at the Gramercy Theatre that weekend so that she can see the impact it has had on his fans. She arrives at the venue just in time to watch him play her original arrangement of the song, but as she watches him play and sees the reaction of the crowd to the song and how Dave responds to the fans' adoration by slipping into singing the commercialized arrangement of the song, she realizes that he is a lost cause. Gretta then leaves the concert and cycles through the city with newfound closure and a dawning smile on her face.Afterwards, Gretta visits Dan at his apartment as he prepares to move back home, having made amends with his wife. She tells him that she does not want him to release her album, instead preferring to distribute it online for $1. Although Dan returns to work with Saul, he agrees to let Gretta release the album online and helps her to promote the release. The next day, Saul jokingly fires Dan for promoting Gretta's album and informs him that it sold 10,000 copies in its first day of release.

Tags: romantic, flashback

Review:
Mark Ruffalo and Keira Knightley play producer and song writer who team up to make a demo filmed all over the city.
Nice cameo by Ceelo Green and Adam Levine who sings quite a few songs.Movies like this are pleasant and uplifting to watch - if you want a break from action or violence of summer blockbusters..
I felt a little worried going in to see the film that somehow Mr. Carney had fallen foul of the big producers, making sacrifices to the story in order to get some 'names' into it.However, around 20 minutes in, my hopes returned and I knew it was going to be special...
the film builds on the story and characters as it goes on, making me care about them, showing me things I had never seen before in similar movies and above all, making me think.
Between the scenes, I also loved how it discreetly touched on some important issues with throwaway lines, addressing things which people take for granted these days: 'Music is for the ears, not the eyes.' and 'don't dress like you are easy' being two of them.
"A movie about modern advances dismantling the art industry as we know it by replacing the high-paid middle-men with IT, bringing artist closer to audience." Doesn't sound like a thrilling blurb, but this movie brings the story to live with incredible writing, great music, wonderful performances and a brilliant vision.
The actors just nail it, especially Knightley and Ruffalo, though I would have liked to have seen more done with Catherine Keener.I rarely watch movies twice, but there are people I want to share this with, and I ordered the soundtrack as soon as I returned home.How will they finish this, I kept thinking toward the end.
It deals with Dan and Greta (Mark Ruffalo and Keira Knightley, respectively) who after being cheated on by their former boyfriend/girlfriend meet up and record some songs together.
The soundtrack is more poppy compared to the folk songs in "Once," but they are nice to listen to.This film is the movie you kind of have to be in the mood for to really enjoy.
It had all of the elements of success: a great cast, excellent production, and a solid premise.However, it just couldn't win me over and ultimately fell flat.The biggest beef I had with the movie, and admittedly this is a very subjective matter, is that if you're going to make a movie like this, the music must at least be good.
The one thing it does have in common with Once is that Carney ripped the beginning line/melody of Hansard's "All the Way Down" ("you have broken...") in the song "Like a Fool." When I saw that they gave Glen Hansard some "writing credits," the only thing I could imagine is that they were forced to pay him retroactively for this line that they stole because Hansard's music has nothing in common with the music in this emotionless movie.
The whole movie made me extremely annoyed, though I wanted to like it - the beginning scene that felt forced (look a girl can play a guitar - isn't that super original?), the 0 chemistry between Ruffalo (a usually fantastic actor) and Knightley, the scattered plot with weirdly timed flashbacks, and the constant message that this movie was supposed to be about authenticity when it was decidedly fake!!!
Funny, dramatic, romantic and platonic, the film navigates its cast of characters with much skill and tenderness.Dan (Mark Ruffalo) is a mess: once a groundbreaking executive of his own indie record label, he's floundering helplessly in a life he no longer recognises.
Musically-inclined Greta (Keira Knightley) isn't having all that great a time of it either: she moved to New York with her boyfriend Dave (Adam Levine), but he's too busy having his head turned by fame and other girls as he hits the big time.
And yes, Dan will find a way to bond with Violet in the process, just as Greta figures out just what she wants (or doesn't want) from her relationship with Dave.But Begin Again is a far better film in its details, largely because Carney lavishes a lot of thought, love and hope on his characters.
James Corden turns in an amusing performance as Greta's hapless panhandling friend Steve, although Keener - a fine character actress - is robbed of the opportunity to lend Miriam more depth (especially considering a revelation that comes later in the film).
It's not hard to see why: though it is warmly entertaining, it is, ultimately, flimsy and unmemorable.Written and directed by John Carney, whose biggest hit to date remains 2006's Once, Begin Again shares a similar theme: a couple making music and discovering themselves.Gretta (Keira Knightley) accompanies her musician boyfriend Dave (Adam Levine) to New York when he signs a deal with a major record deal.
By chance, she is thrown together with disgraced record label executive Dan (Mark Ruffalo) and, astounded by her raw talent, he signs her up for a quirky musical collaboration around New York City.And therein lies my biggest issue with Begin Again: Dan is astounded by Gretta's talent, I wasn't.
Begin Again is all just a little bit plinky plonk, it is obvious and idealistic and, particularly in the instance of the family dancing sequence, plain embarrassing.I love the idea of a group of musicians recording an album in the open around New York but there has to be a far better way of presenting it to the world.Pleasant but insubstantial.
Some highlights: horrible music, clichéd dialogue, repulsive acting, that guy from Maroon 5 sporting a beard, Keira taking a hipster bike ride through NYC, the end of Ruffalo's previously stellar career, directed like an NYU film school project, horrible music, spouting off about "bad" and "commercial" music but every song in the movie was commercial garbage, the cliché line "you can learn a lot about someone from their play-list," ...
Gretta meets accidentally with washed- up producer Dan (Mark Ruffalo) in a New York bar, and after an iffy start, the two of them agree to produce a do-it-yourself album of Gretta's songs, with the help of amateur musicians, Dan's daughter Violet (Hailee Stanfield), and some of Dan's acquaintances in the music business.
The plot is an old one, a recycling of the "Let's Put on a Show" genre historically associated with Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland musicals of the Thirties.The leading actors try their best with a shallowly-written script, but nonetheless Ruffalo's Dan comes across as someone entirely responsible for his own decline due to impatience and a fondness for alcohol.
Knightley's Gretta is a passive figure, although apparently a talented song-writer, and she really cannot sing.Yet the potential for character-development is set aside in a film with far too many unmemorable musical numbers for its own good.
To tell you more would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.Couple of comments: as a general matter and contrary to apparently many other reviewers, I did not "fall" for this movie like I did for "Once", writer-director John Carney's previous tale of romance and music.
This movie has some great musical scenes, which are the film's best asset, but also the problem.The plot's not that substantial, relationships ending/beginning, with discussions about selling out in the music industry.
Having enjoyed John Carney's previous film to this 'Once' I was intrigued to see how he was going to top it.The resulting film sees him trying to replicate the idea of a lost guy being saved by a woman and some music, but moving the action to the US.And sadly much of the charm gets lost in translation, with the almost home made quality of 'Once' being left behind.Levine and Knightley form an unlikely double act and are well supported by Ruffalo, but although the music is good, the story is flimsy and too reliant on swearing to be entertaining.I've read lots of reviews of this film that call it 'charming' and a 'must see'.
Review: This is a sweat movie about a down and out alcoholic, music producer who hears a song in a bar and gets inspiration to make the singer famous.
And I thoroughly enjoyed both her version of 'Lost Stars' and Adam Levine's!Mark Ruffalo's performance as Dan was great - he showed the range of emotion you'd expect in the part he was playing - a jaded, down in the dumps record executive who gets a turnaround through the movie by his chance meeting with Gretta (Keira Knightley's character).
Loved the opening sequences of the movie - showing the same scene from several different character's perspectives - but especially Dan's - when he re-imagines Gretta's song with added instruments and enhanced arrangements.
Gretta an independent and tough singer-songwriter who's coping from a recent heart break catches the eye of Dan (Mark Ruffalo) an out of work record label executive.A chance occurrence brings together these two lost souls for a musical journey that takes them through every street and corner of the beautiful New York City.
The acting from most of the cast is actually pretty okay,for what seem like a small budget movie.Never knew Keira could sing,but never given it much thought.I think they meant the music to be the focus,but somewhere along the line they changed it to a:stick to the man kind of movie,than they change it back again to a long music video.The main problem is,for me anyway.That you really don't care about the ex boyfriend who's supposed to be the catalyst for everything.
The two of them capture a very accurate attritional relationship between an angsty teen and a failing father.This is a lovely, feel-good, indie film that gives us an insight into a cross section of the music industry.
Watching Begin Again reminds us so much of summertime in New York City that you are almost transported, but luckily you get to skip the hot garbage smell.Begin Again is a sweet little film about redemption and staying true to yourself, all set in the vibrant city of New York, where music and location are integral characters in the story.Dan (Mark Ruffalo) used to be a top music executive, but personal problems and a lack of a 'star' has caused him to slip in reputation at his label.
From this encounter, Dan and Gretta collaborate to create the music he knows she has deep within her raw talent, and in doing so emerges the powerful transformative ability from music.Begin Again manages to hit all the right notes (Don't hate me, I couldn't help it!) in being a sweet summer film perfect for a light watch on a summer evening.
His energy and innate ability is captivating and his character is a nice antithesis to Adam Levine's contrived douchiness as Dave.So if you find yourself longing for summer on a cold winter night or in need of a delightful film for a casual one-time watch then Begin Again is your girl.Please check out our WEBSITE for all the REVIEWS of recent releases and indie films!.
Much the same way that John Carney's script emphasizes vision as the key ingredient for a successful song, his own vision is more than enough to compensate for some of the strangeness here, and the film works very much in the style of those classic British comedies of manners we don't see much of anymore (a la 3 Weddings...) Other notes for the die-hard fans: * Knightly and Ruffalo spent much of their careers making other actors look good.
I was expecting a cheesy movie full of cliches but both th script was interesting and th performances was really captivating.The most interesting thing was Keira singing, solid and very nice, got to give her for that!The music is interesting and it really makes you wanna update your playlist and start listening to music..
Plus you're beautiful.Gretta: I'm sorry, what's beauty got to do with anything?This is the first exchange between Mark Ruffalo and Keira Knightley's characters in this story about flawed lives intertwining with a backdrop of music.
This film centers around Gretta (Knightley) a young singer-songwriter who is new to Manhattan and Dan (Ruffalo) a music-business executive who both meet each other at pivotal moments in their life.
The film may be about life and relationships, but this feels like a love letter to music from writer/director John Carney.
Knightley's soothing voice backed by a great melody will make you want to hear it over and over again.If this film doesn't get a nomination for original song it should receive acting nods for Keira Knightley and Mark Ruffalo.
An absolutely incredible must watch feel good film that makes you believe in the good in the world!Mark Ruffalo (Dan) and Kiera Knightley (Gretta) are of course brilliant but even other key characters such as Gretta's friend Steve, her boyfriend Dave and Dan's daughter Violet play the role to perfection.
So there are perfect acting second, This movie has many good music such as 'Lost Stars', 'No One Else Like You'.
These backgrounds of the lead characters are reminiscent of writer- director John Carney's breakthrough 2006 indie film, the delicate "Once." The story was also about musicians who led sad lives until they meet and click musically.
In "Begin Again" though, Carney's first Hollywood film, the setting is upgraded from suburban Ireland to New York City, and the cast is upgraded to A-list stars.Mark Ruffalo perfectly captures the broken character of Dan, gruff exterior and deep-set cynicism.
His singing was of course flawless in very catchy songs like the centerpiece tune "Lost Stars", which is this film's answer to "Falling Slowly" from "Once", certainly a contender for Oscar Best Song as well.James Corden plays Greta's best friend in New York Steve.
I just enjoy music and listen to a lot and know the sounds I enjoy, So it may be not great singing/music, but I enjoyed it.Love movies as well and this was very good.
This movie is the definition of a pleasant surprise, with excellent acting, surprisingly good music, and a plot that doesn't give in to the typical Hollywood ending.
So begin again had a potential but i don't thing it used all.I don't like this movie mainly because it's so mean,i thought that i was watching something like Ray Donovan.I thought that it was for kids too.Adam Levine was good in this movie.I very much liked Cello i thought that he was very good even though he was there for like three minutes.I don't get like on the poster there are the names and there is Cello too but he was there for minimal time.The only people who actually played there were Keira Knightley,Mark Ruffalo and James Corden but he wasn't there very long too.Song very good i liked them and the beginning in the bar how he imagines the tools that was pretty good.6/10..
In the beginning, I expected it would be a typical success story of a singer-songwriter, who seemingly had trouble in the past and tries to "begin again." But as she is encouraged to come to the stage and starts singing with her guitar, I thought "It's not for me..." Maybe the voice of Gretta, starring Keira Knightley is great, and lyrics are touching; however, the melody is a little bit plain.
Makes me feel good watching AND listening to this movie, because the story is so uplifting AND the soundtrack is just terrific.The story is about Keira Knightly struggling as an unknown singer/songwriter, who didnt even realize she has got talent, untill a famous (has been) producer (Mark Ruffalo) discovers her extra oridinary singer/songwriter skills.
The plot is about more than just music and the dialogue felt natural, with believable performances from Keira Knightley and Mark Ruffalo.'Begin Again' is a good movie all round.
I was totally blown away with this movie and its beautiful music...the acting, the premise of what music really is and what the industry destroys...I loved this movie and watched it 4 times.....never do I do that...its bringing relationships back again and the hope of what could lie ahead when your world falls apart....perfect picks for the cast..I could watch it again right now ..Adam Levine and his vocals were over the top...Kera Knightly was such a wonderful surprise with her vocals...Mark Ruffalo was as always amazing...this man can act in any role....he is amazing and once again nailed this character with such compassion as a father, husband and musician...I HIGHLY recommend that anyone reading this review watch this fabulous film....I was so moved by it and most likely will watch it Again and be moved once aGAIN...LOST in the music and these characters which we all can relate to.
The music in this film is spectacular, and if you love music and movies "Begin Again" is worth a watch..
It's a scene played quite well by both of them.The movie has a nice soundtrack, including "Coming Up Roses" by Keira Knightly and "Lost Stars" by Adam Levine.
If you love movies about music, filled with original songs from beginning to end, then you'd love "Begin Again." Mark Ruffalo plays Dan, a record producer who gets fired and lives estranged from his wife and daughter.
It is a great movie showing the beauty of the city with music.An independent songwriter 'Gretta James'(Keira Knightly) moves to New York because her boyfriend 'Dave Kohl'(Adam Levine) gets a contract with a major music company.
All the songs are very appealing and were very popular for a long time.New York is known as a big dreary city but in this movie it changes to a very peaceful place through the music.
I love Mark Ruffalo and Keira Knightly in this film.
Schmaltzy and predictable, but reasonably enjoyable.The story of a washed-up music producer/executive (played by Mark Ruffalo) who discovers a singer-songwriter (played by Keira Knightley).
However, character engagement is good, the music isn't bad and there are some funny moments too.Mark Ruffalo gives a solid performance in his role.