Winsome musical turns heartbreak into haunting ballads

KNIGHTLEY AND LEVINE. Make-or-break roles.

Some thing aren’t always what they seem in “Begin Again,” director John Carney’s follow-up to his charming 2006 romantic musical, “Once.” This time, expectations are higher for its lead actors, Mark Ruffalo, Keira Knightley and Adam Levine, who are onboard to hurdle make-or-break roles:

Will Ruffalo be credible as a scruffy alcoholic? Can the British actress sing? Does People magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive have what it takes to pursue acting?

Yes, yes and yes. Time and again, Ruffalo has proven his acting mettle in a string of diverse roles.

In his latest film, the actor portrays Dan Mulligan, a down-on-his-luck music mogul who hasn’t signed anybody in seven years. He has just been fired from the studio he helped put up, so he turns to alcohol to forget his woes, not the least of which is the end of his 18-year marriage to Miriam (Catherine Keener), with whom he has a 14-year-old daughter, Violet (Hailee Steinfeld), he hardly knows.

Infidelity

His luck turns around when he meets Gretta James (Knightley), an occasional singer-songwriter with a Norah Jones vibe who turns heartbreak into haunting, heartfelt ballads. Her life is just as bad—she just left her boyfriend of five years, rising rock star Dave Kohl (Levine of Maroon 5), who’s on the verge of breaking out, after she “reads” his infidelity in his latest composition!

The chance meeting between lovelorn Gretta and the washed up executive turns into a uniquely transformative partnership that sees them happily stumbling into the second chances they richly deserve as they record the album of their dreams with a ragtag group of musicians (Cee Lo Green, James Corden)—on the streets of New York!

The feel-good film brims with optimism and plays out like a laid-back modern-day fairy tale anchored on the music of Gregg Alexander (of the New Radicals) and the convincing chemistry and rapport of Ruffalo and Knightley—who proves she’s no slouch at singing! (She was just as credible as a nightclub performer in John Maybury’s little-seen 2008 drama, “The Edge of Love.”)

Fire in its belly

Like Gretta and Dan’s unlikely “friendship,” the winsome movie is occasionally predictable, but is never contrived. It’s boosted further by a rousing, radio-ready soundtrack that effectively fans the fire in “Begin Again’s” musical belly.

Fil-Am Hailee Steinfeld isn’t required to do much, but she nonetheless registers well as the distant daughter who sees her troubled dad in a different light when she’s asked to join the band to back up Gretta.

And the dashing Levine carries Dave’s confidence and charisma with aplomb and makes a good impression—even when his character doesn’t!