Movie review: Begin Again

BEGIN AGAIN (NC16) 104 minutes / Now showing

3½ ***

Dan (Mark Ruffalo) is a washed-up music producer who gets fired from the label he set up. Gretta (Keira Knightley) is a songwriter nursing the wounds of a break-up with singer boyfriend Dave (Maroon 5's Adam Levine). They both get a second chance when Dan produces her album guerilla-style in and around New York City.

After the Pirates Of The Caribbean films (2003-2007) and lush period drama Atonement (2007), it is nice to see Knightley in a captivating contemporary role. For all the doubters out there, take note: She can sing.

While Gretta and Dan share a connection, writer-director John Carney (Once, 2007) never shoehorns a romance into the proceedings. Unlike the recent Words And Pictures (2014), Begin Again recognises that life is rarely that neat. 

This article was first published on July 4, 2014.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.