Blog Directory CineVerse: In tune with life

In tune with life

Thursday, June 21, 2018

The life of an artist in true pursuit of his or her craft is a hard road to travel. Just ask Greta, her friend Steve, or her new manager Dan. They've all suffered the slings and arrows of misfortune in their musical careers. But hope springs eternal, as do new songs that can inspire and entertain if they're performed from the heart. Such are the lessons to be learned from Begin Again, a well-cast film that rises above standard romcom fare by focusing on the joy of writing, recording and performing music. Here are the major takeaways from our CineVerse chat last night about this movie:

WHAT DID YOU FIND CURIOUS, PLEASANTLY OFFBEAT AND/OR DISTINCTIVELY MEMORABLE ABOUT BEGIN AGAIN?

  • It tells the first act of its story non-linearly; the opening scene where Greta performs in the bar is repeated 20 minutes later and 20 minutes after that, showing different perspectives of the characters. 
  • The conclusion is refreshing in that the girl doesn’t end up with up to three different suitors she can choose from, including Dan, whom we can tell she is growing fond of as the picture progresses. Instead, we see Dan reunite with his wife and Greta embark on a new phase of her life flying solo. 
  • It isn’t truly a movie musical, where the characters break out into song, but it does rely heavily on the strength of the original songs, written for the film by former New Radicals musician Gregg Alexander. 
    • Slant magazine reviewer David Lee Dallas wrote: “Greta’s songs are imminently appealing and listenable, but hardly spectacular, which works in the film’s favor: it’s characters are talented though far from geniuses, finding joy in the making of music rather than in the final product itself, but the album is still absolutely believable as a career-making hit.” 
  • The plot itself is also often driven by the music and lyrics instead of dialogue and action. 
  • The film gives us an insider’s view into the magic of making music – the process of writing, rehearsing, producing and performing songs and the carpe diem, of-the-moment, spontaneous nature of being a street musician with hopeful dreams. 
  • The movie often contrasts the glitz of the music business against the unglamorous reality of being a starving artist. 
    • Per Bluray.com reviewer, Martin Liebman: “That juxtaposition of the grit of reality versus the polish of the process is reflective in every theme and story line that runs through the movie, notably in the way protagonists Greta and Dan carry themselves in a more raw, unrehearsed, soulful manner that frequently clashes with the more prepared world in and through which the system says they must work. The city -- representing life itself -- proves a powerful elixir for both, releasing them, in essence, to be themselves, to operate on their own terms and be shaped by what life really is and has to offer, not what it appears to be in the blindingly white, bright, sterile world of clean lines and elegant stylings found inside the record office.” 
WHAT IS THIS MOVIE TRYING TO TELL US? WHAT ARE THE MAIN MESSAGES THE FILMMAKERS ARE ESPOUSING?
  • Finding meaning and purpose in life through a love of music 
  • Staying true to yourself and your vision without “selling out” 
  • “The process of self-discovery, the importance of self-confidence, and the ebbs and flows of life,” according to the blog Reel Simple
  • The importance of remaining active and passionate about what you do. 
  • In an interview, director John Carney said: “My worldview is that we need to keep moving, to keep singing and writing and imagining new possibilities and things. For one character, you might have to move forward, and for another character it’s like Dorothy’s line in the Wizard of Oz: if you can’t find what you’re looking for in your own backyard, maybe you never lost in the first place. Maybe for some people, to begin again is to go back to what they knew and begin again. And for other people, it’s to move on and find a new future.” 
MOVIES THAT BEGIN AGAIN REMINDS US OF:
  • The Thing Called Love 
  • Music and Lyrics 
  • Crazy Heart 
  • Inside Llewyn Davis 
  • Like Sunday, Like Rain 
  • That Thing You Do
OTHER FILMS DIRECTED BY JOHN CARNEY
  • On the Edge 
  • Once 
  • Sing Street

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