Begin Again 2013

     Dan helped to start a record label but he’s been through some rough times.  He’s separated from his wife, lives in an apartment by himself and he gets up early but goes back to bed.  He picks up his daughter from school and goes by the office ‘in case’ there is a meeting.  He gets into an argument with his partner and he’s fired.  He meets Gretta and he really thinks she has what it takes to be signed by the label but he’s no longer employed there.  He takes her to meet his partner and she doesn’t like the deal of 10/90%.  Dan and Gretta arranged for people to accompany her and they did the recording at different places in New York to capture ambient sound.  Violet, Dan’s daughter is also on the album with backup guitar.  Gretta has been dating Dave and he’s been touring plus recording a new album.  She finds out he has been cheating on her and they separate.

     There are a lot of complications in Dan and Gretta’s lives but I’m not sure they have chemistry together?  I’m not sure Gretta and Dave have chemistry either?  Maybe if so many people were not continually fawning over Dave?  Maybe if Dan was not so scruffy looking all the time, enough so that people mistake him for a homeless person?  Also, maybe if Dan was not a continual boozer who can’t pay the tab?  3* (This movie is OK)

104 min, Drama directed by John Carney with Keira Knightley, Mark Ruffalo, Adam Levine, Hailee Steinfeld, Yaslin Bey, Catherine Keener, Ceelo Green, James Corden.

Note:  Imdb 7.5 out of 10, 83% critic 81% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 3*, Amazon 4.8* out of 5* with 1421 reviews.

Special Note:  Director John Carney also worked on Once which was about another music team with two singers.  This couple became a real couple after filming.  In the beginning, this film was titled Can a Song Save Your Life.