What ever you might feel about Adam Levine -personally, I love his voice, he is a real pop star and he knows what he is doing and every time he sings during the rock and roll fantasy “Begin Again” singing with real conviction terrible songs like the deadly “Fallen Stars” by former New Radical Greg Alexandra. That’s more than Keira Knightlycan do in the execrable “Begin Again”, a ridiculous fantasy about the music business where Gretta is dumped by Levine, who has just broken into the rock world and signed to a major label, where he has an affair. Mark Ruffalo is a record label executive who hasn’t found a hit in five years and has become a functioning alcoholic ever since his wife was unfaithful to him. His daughter is disgusted in him.
The two meet and decide to record an album of her songs on the streets of New York, which deserves better. Director John Carney, who gave us the terrible “Once” as well, may know how the music business works but doesn’t prove it here, as one absurdity follows another and the songs fail to prop up this lame fakery. Keira gets by on her smile, and when she turns it on full beam, it is really some smile indeed, it seems to center on her nose… and Ruffalo on his scruffy authenticity and half stumble charm. They are really very charming, it is a shame all this high voltage sex appeal is waited on such a terrible concept.
Also, look man, it is a rom com, and there are rules, and rule number one in rom-coms is the audience deserves the rom and we don’t get it.
Two scenes broke through my sneer. The couple sharing buds and listening to music while walking the streets of New York is very sweet, though the pay off is, again, non existent. And a scene ona rooftop where Ruffallo’s daughter adds her guitar is quite good, good enough for the song “Tell Me If You wanna Go Home” to emerge as a winner, well… not the worst thing I’ve ever heard.
Otherwise,”Begin Again” had one simple job to do, make romance sweet and it didn’t bother to do it because it sure ain’t a documentary on the music business.
GradeL C-
