Begin Again

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Begin Again

R

Released Jul 2, 2014

1h 44m

Comedy

Drama

Romance

Music

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Popcornmeter

83%

Tomatometer

168 Reviews

81%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

Gretta (Keira Knightley) and her songwriting partner/lover Dave (Adam Levine) head for New York when he lands a record deal with a major label. However, Gretta is suddenly left on her own when Dave gives in to the temptations that come with his newfound success. Things take a turn for the better for her when Dan (Mark Ruffalo), a disgraced record executive, discovers Gretta performing in a club. A mutually life-changing bond forms between the pair as they work together on Gretta's first album.

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Critics Consensus

Writer-director John Carney's return to musical drama isn't quite as potent as it was with Once, but thanks to charming work from its well-matched leads, Begin Again is difficult to resist.

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Cath Clarke

Time Out

What makes it special is that it's not another romance about finding a man. It's about finding your people, about being a bit lost in your twenties.

Rated: 4/5

Jul 2, 2020

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Alissa Wilkinson

Christianity Today

Begin Again is the best sort of summer movie, with great performances and a solid core. It's clearly a work that comes from love shared by people who enjoyed making it, and that makes it fun for us to watch out in the audience, too.

Rated: 3.5/4

Apr 13, 2016

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Evan Williams

The Australian

I've seen happier endings in Oklahoma! and Singin' in the Rain, but this one feels genuine - and in an unexpected way, deeply satisfying.

Rated: 3.5/5

Aug 11, 2014

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JD Duran

InSession Film

The film explores how other options could've come into play, but you still have to deal with it and you don't have to stay stuck in the heartache. The exploration of that theme is fascinating and handled really well here.

Rated: A

Aug 19, 2024

Full Review

Fausto Fernandez

Fotogramas

A variation of A Star is Born... But an optimist, kind, luminous and magical [take] led by a marvelous, sentimental humanist fable about second chances. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 4/5

Jun 27, 2022

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Danielle Solzman

Solzy at the Movies

In a perfect world, Begin Again would have been up for Best Picture and more.

Aug 17, 2021

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John S

Great music, nice and light, so accurate to the highs and lows we all go through. Well acted, realistic, fun. A secret treasure…

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/15/25

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Susan E

Very similar to Starting Over with Burt Reynolds and Candace Bergman.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/12/25

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Roger S

I love this movie. The songs are great. Wonderful acting. I smiled the entire time. It doesn't go in the predictable direction and instead, is a very smart movie.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/02/25

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Birithivy Y

Begin Again - 8.5/10. John Carney crafted the perfect romcom musical with the highly underrated and overlooked Begin Again. A movie about an aspiring musician and a down and out producer who sees the potential of the artist, Begin Again is a sweet and charming movie as a whole. Its one of those movies that just flies by as you watch it, coasting on its simple story with amazing music and amazing performances. Mark Ruffalo and Keira Knightley are super delightful in this film. Even though both are big stars in their own right, they really do feel like normal people in this film. Their respective performances are real and very subdued. Its also one of my favourite "New York" films. The way Carney directed the film in and around NYC is super brilliant, creating the city as almost another character in the film. You feel immersed in the journey of these characters and the music that they make, and seeing them record the tracks live around neighbourhoods in the city just livens up the film even more. This is a film thats a perfect example of how to use your locations to emphasize the story. Its also a perfect example of how to make a musical without the artificialness of breaking into song randomly. The songs are placed within the narrative and they don't hinder the flow of the plot. It also helps that Knightley sang all the songs, as it lends an authenticity to the performance that wouldn't have been achieved had it been someone else singing over her. One of the best and sweetest films from the past decade, a film that needs to be watched if you have never done so!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

12/28/24

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Scott W

Not sure how I missed this one . So many good things here imo . Starting with great cast .

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

12/23/24

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Fiona敬淇 Y

One of the worst films I've ever seen. Ruined my night. Extremely disappointing. First of all, as a "comedy", it is not funny. And as a romantic film, it's not really romantic. Also, the music is not that good to be completely honest. The actors are amazing I do love their performance, it's just the storyline is way too dry and dreadful. Please do not waste your time to watch it.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

11/17/24

Full Review

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Keira Knightley

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Synopsis

Gretta (Keira Knightley) and her songwriting partner/lover Dave (Adam Levine) head for New York when he lands a record deal with a major label. However, Gretta is suddenly left on her own when Dave gives in to the temptations that come with his newfound success. Things take a turn for the better for her when Dan (Mark Ruffalo), a disgraced record executive, discovers Gretta performing in a club. A mutually life-changing bond forms between the pair as they work together on Gretta's first album.

Director: John Carney
Producer: Tobin Armbrust, Anthony Bregman, Judd Apatow
Screenwriter: John Carney
Distributor: Weinstein Co.
Production Co: Apatow Productions, Exclusive Media, Sycamore Pictures, Likely Story
Rating: R (Language)
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance, Music
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 2, 2014, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 17, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $16.2M
Runtime: 1h 44m

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