Technical Assessment:
3.5 Moral Assessment: 3
CINEMA Rating: V 14
Begin Again
tells a tale of two persons whose spirits are currently crushed by their
different circumstances. Dan (Mark Ruffalo) has just lost his job from the
music label company he co-founded, and has been battling a long-time a crisis
in his marriage. Greta (Keira Knighley) has just broken-up with her boyfriend
(Adam Levine) whom she discovers to be unfaithful after she flew all the way
from England just to accompany him and have a music career in New York. One
fateful night in a bar, Dan sees Greta playing a song and he is immediately
mesmerized by her music that he convinces her to produce an album with him. But
Greta is set to go back home to England after what happened to her and her
boyfriend. After much convincing, Greta agrees. Without much resources and a
backing of a label, the two together with a ragtag band of musicians
collaborate to record an album in the streets of New York.
The film banks on the
fine performances of the lead cast. Knightley and Ruffalo morphed into their
roles with so much heart and intensity without going melodramatic. The scenes
depicting simple conversations come out as the most powerful scenes given its
naturalistic appeal. There’s magic when actors need not try hard to make scenes
very dramatic. Like music, the film is at its best when it just flows. Never
mind if they get corny sometimes but they will just carry on and let the
natural rhythm of life bring them to destination. Begin Again
successfully connects life and music and how one affects the other in the nexus
of complications brought about by relationships, ambition and materialism.
The original title of Begin Again is “Can
a Song Save Your Life?”. It is a rhetorical question that the film has tried to
answer. Well, obviously, the film answers the question with a resounding “yes”.
Music indeed has saved the lives of Dan and Greta. They meet when they are at
their lowest points and music becomes the invisible and powerful bridge that
led them to become the best of friends. Music binds them together and they are
able to get through life’s blows because of their faith that transcends genre
and generations. The film also questions the entire music industry’s commercial
system, proving that persistence pays off at the right time. The film somehow
serves as a glimmer of hope to those who have been betrayed and seemed to have
lost confidence and faith in other people, in God, and in themselves. Dan may
have resorted to excessive drinking, which can be a bit disturbing but taking
it into context, it will be seen that his drunkenness makes situations worse
and does not do anything good. Music is God’s gift and creation and as the
characters are seen to genuinely love a creation of God, so they remain on
track because of such love. However, the movie’s theme, emotional stress and
some vulgar language make the film appropriate only to audience 14 and above.
