Begin Again: Thoughts on the Movie

Begin Again is a musical comedy-drama starring Keira Knightley and Mark Ruffalo. Keira Knightley plays a singer-songwriter who is discovered by a down and out record label executive (Mark Ruffalo). They collaborate to produce an album in an unconventional yet authentic way.

I wasn’t expecting much going into the film. All I knew was that it was set in New York, had music (Lost Stars was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song), Mark Ruffalo (love, love, love Mark Ruffalo) and Keira Knightley (adore, adore, adore!). The story was very involving with twists and turns here and there, the funny punchlines, and simple, heart-hitting songs.

Now I also get the appeal of Adam Levine. Haha.

James Corden as the funny best friend was just really funny. (He’s also the guy behind: James Corden and Tom Hanks Act out Tom Hanks’ Filmography in 7 minutes – have you seen this yet? It’s hilarious.).

Plus Keira Knightley’s character’s clothes were so cute!

There’s also an angle of family that I really love – how family members aren’t exactly what you perceive them to be, and how they always have your back.

I watched this initially because it was a movie set in New York. From the trailer, it seemed to celebrate the city. It wasn’t just a backdrop to the story, but a main character. (Links: I’m super infatuated with the city!) As you dive deeper into the story, New York evolves to play a stronger role for Keira Knightley and Mark Ruffalo. Without giving spoilers, let’s say New York serves as their characters’ comfort zone AND danger zone (the point outside the comfort zone that makes you want to take risks!).

Here’s the Begin Again movie trailer.

 

Begin Again was directed by the same director of Once! (Read: Once: A Movie Review) Once is one of my all-time favorite movies. Music also plays a big part in it. If you haven’t seen it, go watch!

Go see this movie! Then get the soundtrack afterwards. *thumbs up*

Have you seen Begin Again? If yes, which song from the film is your favorite? If you haven’t seen Begin Again, are you into movies like this – musical comedy-dramas? Please leave movie recommendations as well in the comments!

 

Hi! I'm Toni Tiu, and I've been blogging at at Wifely Steps since 2003. This started as a blog to help newly weds adjust to married life. It has evolved into a home and parenting blog. I write about things close to my heart -- good eats, good reads, family, marriage, and the little things that make everyday happy.