Peps' Movie Wrap-up: Begin Again

http://www.joblo.com/movie-posters/begin-again-02
It took me three months to finish watching Begin Again.  I started watching in December and finally got around to finishing it a few days ago.  After giving birth, I had learned pretty early on to watch on low volume (thereby limiting my viewing options to a very large degree), but with music being central in the storytelling of Begin Again, I knew that it wasn't something I could fully appreciate without turning up the sound.  It took several attempts and a gift of wireless headphones (thanks, Arvin!) that allowed me to finally finish the film.

Record label executive Dan Mulligan (Mark Ruffalo), recently fired and feeling disillusioned about the music industry, enters a bar to drown his sorrows.  Little did he expect that he would end up hearing something more than the simple performance that songwriter Gretta James (Keira Knightley) was giving during open mic night at the bar.  He offers to sign Gretta with his former record label, finding zeal in himself that was largely absent in his life for a long time.  Gretta, she of the recently heartbroken status courtesy of her now famous ex-boyfriend Dave Kohl (Adam Levine), is initially reluctant but decides to get on board with Dan.  Unfortunately, without a demo tape, his former business partner Saul (Mos Def) wouldn't sign Gretta to the label.  Dan decides that they should just go ahead with making Gretta's album, suggesting that they use New York City as their own personal recording studio.

After watching the film, there's a part of me that wished the film received more fanfare locally on its own merits rather than being the film acting debut of Maroon 5's Adam Levine.  Don't get me wrong, I'm a fan of his band's music, but there's really so much more to Begin Again, what with a stellar cast and engaging storyline to boast of.  But I guess I should be thankful, if not for Adam Levine's popularity and his excellent rendition of "Lost Stars", there would be less viewers inclined to watch it.

The film's title, Begin Again, is very apt for the story it weaves.  Two people who form an unlikely partnership found new beginnings in their chance meeting, with one fresh from the hurt of a betrayal that destroyed her five year relationship, and the other losing his job on top of his now long separation from his wife and daughter.  They learn about each other as they make music together, the songwriter and the producer, while also finding new things about themselves or rediscovering parts of their personalities that they have long forgotten about.  Mark Ruffalo and Keira Knightley carry the movie well and have an easy chemistry together.  Whether it's bantering about music, fighting about their preconceived notions about each other, or in creating moments that demand for you to ship for them, they make a believable almost-couple.

And I say almost-couple because you have to understand that Begin Again isn't really just a story about two people becoming romantic.  Sure, that's what people go to the theaters for, but the film is so much more than that.  As much as Dan and Gretta's relationship is the core of the film, their story is as much about their individual journeys.  At the end of the film, they get a version of their happy ending you might not have envisioned for them, but one that I found to be not just acceptable, but immensely satisfying once you have a chance to digest the events of the entire film.

The cast is well-rounded, providing a bevy of supporting characters that establish the world of Dan and Gretta outside of the music they create together.  James Corden as Steve is the unerringly supportive friend who shares Gretta's passion for music; Hailee Steinfeld, as Dan's daughter Violet, tries to deal with her parents' separation and has an interest in guitar playing; Catherine Keener as Dan's estranged wife Miriam; Mos Def's Saul is Dan's former business partner who's now more into the business side of making music; and Adam Levine's Dave, who embraces the commercial side of making music and sounding more pretentious as his facial hair grows in proportion (the beard he sports at one point in the film is just ridiculous, but very apt for the then state of mind of his character).  And then there's Cee Lo Green, whose few scenes as Dan's former discovery Troublegum, brings more joy and positivity to my viewing experience than I thought possible.

Music plays a large part in the film, and not just because the characters are involved in making them.  Gretta, in particular, is a songwriter who transforms her emotions and experiences into song, and such is her ability to pay attention to what a song has to say that she immediately senses that Dave was writing a song about another woman.  It's the naked honesty in her songs that Dan responds to, which would have made director John Carney's original title for the film Can a Song Save Your Life? equally apt.  The songs are radio friendly and help in a viewer's appreciation for the film (unless they're really not into that type of music).

Begin Again is overall a sweet film, both in story and tone.  Even its depiction of New York City is the romantic kind, with John Carney choosing to portray the city and its various locations used to record Gretta's music as a very idyllic place for artists.  But there are also moments that temper that sweetness, reminding the audience that realizations and endings aren't always what we envision or expect, even for characters as lovable as those featured in the film.

I immensely enjoyed Begin Again, and I look forward to watching Once, John Carney's earlier film work that also featured music in its storytelling.

I just hope it doesn't take me three months to finish watching it.

Happy viewing!!

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