Begin Again

                Music is one of the key things in life that are subjective; there could be certain songs or genres in general that one may like that others don’t, and vice-versa. There’s always going to be an audience for at least every song, no matter how bad of a press it gets. I’m no musical enthusiast, but I can tell when I can tell when I like a song or not after a couple listens. With that being said, let’s talk about the new Mark Ruffalo and Kiera Knightley film, “Begin Again.”

                The film tells the story of Dan Mulligan, a music producer who has been struggling through life and trying to maintain a connection with his daughter after a divorce. When he loses his job, he goes to a bar and meets Gretta, the ex-girlfriend of a popular musician, and wants to publish her music. After being turned down for her song, the two decide to gather other street musicians and make an outdoor album band, with the help of Gretta’s friend, Steve, and Dan’s old-friend and rap-producer, Trouble-Gum.

                Needless to say, this film starting out wasn’t really anything special…however, as the film went on, I ended up liking the development and chemistry between Dan and Gretta. So after watching it a second time, I ended up actually loving the story and these characters, because of how real it all felt. The raw emotion and charisma of each of these characters share when they’re onscreen is some of the most heartfelt I’ve seen this year.

                Mark Ruffalo and Kiera Knightley give the best performances they have ever given, showing us real people with problems that come into life; separation, broken hearts, loss of faith, trying to find that light of happiness, all of those struggles are what’s shown in this film simply by these two alone. If anything, they deserve to at least be nominated for Best Actor and Actress, that’s all I ask. And it’s not just them; James Corden, better known as Smithy on “Gavin & Stacy,” showed a lot of personality in the film as Steve. He actually cares about what happens with Gretta, and he always manages to be a charming guy when he needs to be. Corden has really been starting to become one of my favorite actors as of late, and I hope he can bring that same charm in the “Into the Woods” movie.

                Hailee Steinfeld plays Dan’s daughter, Violet, and she also manages to bring out a very realistic performance, as the modern day teenage girl who tries to dress slutty just for attention. She actually is a person, and not just some cardboard cut-out of what one is supposed to be; for those hack writers who have been writing teenagers or kids like bible-camp graduates, like in “Diary of a Wimpy Kid,” watch this film and take notes on what REAL characters are. Adam Levine of Maroon 5 plays Dave, Gretta’s ex and popular musician, and he actually did pretty damn well. He’s basically playing a character that’s a take on most ego-musicians, but the big difference is Dave’s sense of humanity. Yeah, he’s a douche, but he actually has feelings and does feel guilty about what his actions, unlike talentless hacks like Justin Buttfuck and Miley Sucksit. We also get an appearance by CeeLo Green as TroubleGum, the rap producer that Dan helped get to fame and fortune. I’ve been kind of mild on CeeLo in terms of music, but as an actor he actually is pretty decent; I think it was easy for him, due to the character just basically being him in a way. There’re also appearances by Mos Def and Catherine Keener, who play Dan’s boss and ex-wife, and they manage to be memorable as well, and I hope to see more of their work in the future.

The songs in the film are also really good too, and the people singing them, mostly Knightley and Corden, are really damn good. The film was written and directed by John Carney, the man who brought us the film “Once.” While I wasn’t too crazy about that film, this one manages to hit a home run really well. It’s a film that pokes fun at most music of today being total shit, and acknowledges the work of struggling musicians trying to bring out something that actually has meaning.

Overall, “Begin Again” is a strong contender for my favorite film of the year, and I really hope the Academy shows some recognition for this film, and not just in the technical aspects. I want this to get nominated in the big four acting categories, along with Best Picture.

Rating: 10/10