“Begin Again” opens with Gretta, played by Keira Knightley, in a dark pub forced by a friend to get on stage and sing “A Step You Can’t Take Back,” a thoroughly melancholy song, an ode to being alone. Throughout the movie, the music continued to surprise me with how high quality it was.
I was surprised by Knightley’s vocal talent. Although it doesn’t have a large dynamic range, it does possess a sort of Norah Jones or Birdy quality to it, soft and haunting. The song, on the whole, is unimpressive at this point, and I didn’t get on board with her talent until later in the movie when Mark Ruffalo’s down-on-his-luck music producer character shows his vision for Knightley’s music.
The story of “Begin Again” features Gretta and Dan (Ruffalo) coming together through a shared passion for creating music and turning their luck around. Gretta has been dumped by her boyfriend, Dave (Adam Levine), who has found new stardom with a rising musical career. Dan is battling alcoholism and a failed marriage, causing him to spiral into depression and lose his job. The pair teams up to make an album to get Dan’s job back and get Gretta in the spotlight.
Perhaps the theme song of the movie, “Lost Stars” in a way encapsulates the questions and hopes of the main characters with lines like: “Woe is me/ If we’re not careful turns into reality” and “God, tell us the reason youth is wasted on the young.”
The song, written by Knightley’s character, is performed by both Levine and Knightley separately in the movie. Levine’s performance, although criticized by Knightley’s character, is fantastic, reminiscent of the old Maroon 5 “Songs About Jane.” It shows off the incredibly high notes Levine hits so beautifully. The strong drums that come in the chorus bring the ballad together, making more of a soft rock song than the singer-songwriter tune. Knightley’s character makes clear that was not the vision she had for her song, but I enjoyed this high-quality pop song just the same. Knightley’s rendition is more true to the melancholy lyrics and is beautiful, although it does not warrant the same overwhelming listening experience as Levine’s. With only piano and guitar to back up the vocals, the lyrics shine, but the rendition seems to lack a climax, never reaching the heights Levine’s version does.
The best lyrics of the entire movie go to “Like a Fool,” a song Gretta writes while drunk and mad at Dave. The entire song is simple, Gretta strums a few chords of the guitar, as her friend hits a few chords on the piano, but hearing it transports any listener to a memory of love lost. If a person is able to listen to this without envisioning the face of someone who broke their heart, ice water must run through their veins. Gretta almost tears up singing “And you have broken every … rule/ and I have loved you like a fool” as she leaves the song as a message on Dave’s phone. Each verse of the song ends with “And I have loved you” as she lists her grievances.
The movie and the songs that accompany it are delightfully heartfelt and genuine. Don’t go watching “Begin Again” for a regular rom-com. This movie is a gem, and the composers are extremely talented, translating the characters’ emotions into song the whole way through, making it a multidimensional experience for the audience.
– Casey Kovarik
Email Kovarik at ckovarik@media.ucla.edu.