Begin Again (2014), R, ★★★

Keira Knightley performing a song.

The music industry is a tricky business in the movies and maybe in real life. Music producers, executives, and/or talent scouts look around for people who have the "IT" factor, a quality that bring their voice and genre into stardom. But, sometimes being a music producer or being a music executive is even more stressful trying to find a star that can bring out an attractive quality to persuade listeners what he or she is delivering while singing in your own IPod, computer, or a radio. Even though the movie has a predictable and familiar concept, it is, nevertheless, an entertaining film not just about music but redemption.

Dan Mulligan (Mark Ruffalo) is a struggling record label executive who is constantly drinking and has not signed anybody for seven years until one night, he encounters Gretta (Keira Knightley), an independent songwriter that has his attention. He wants to sign her on to the company, but given the idea of fame in the music industry, she turns his offer down. After that, Dan has no options because earlier in the day, he forgets to pick up his daughter, Violet (Hailee Steinfeld), up from school.

After pick-up, Dan and Violet head off to his office where he is late for a meeting and Saul (Mos Def), his business partner is not very pleased by his lackadaisical work ethic and intoxicated behavior that belittles Saul's ideas and himself. Saul and Dan have a little "talk" and Saul fires him as Dan tries to take all his "belongings" like it is a parody of a scene from Jerry Maguire where Tom Cruise's character also gets fired from his sports agency.

Dan comes up with an idea that he and Gretta can produce songs by themselves by hiring and recruiting a talented group of musicians and both Dan and Gretta bond personally and professionally. The question remains however whether or not Dan will "get his act together" which his ex-wife, Miriam (Catherine Kenner), advised and Gretta will become talented enough to promote her style of music. It is a very unpredictable business in that world. It's be big or go home.

Ruffalo and Steinfeld sitting in a bar.

Even, you can tell where the characters' fates are going when you meet the main characters, it is not a bad movie as long as the characters are interesting and they are curious people to gaze upon in a story. The first part of the movie that I liked was the themes of creativity and improvisation. Both, Dan and Gretta take a chance and try to promote her music. Also, there is a sense of vulnerability and persistence simultaneously in Gretta's character, for example. as he watches Dave (Adam Levine), her ex-boyfriend, win an award on television, she has the spunk to feel compelled to write a song expressing her heartbreak on his voice mail. It is a good scene. Also, there is the predictable theme of struggle in Dan where he is already suffering the consequences of losing his job, his family, and having little money. But, it's all about the character.

Speaking of which, Mark Ruffalo is really intriguing as the struggling music executive and he shows us a different side of him that we do not want to see. He is basically a jerk trying to redeem himself. Although, Inside Llewyn Davis, the Coen brothers' film from last year, did a little better job characterizing what the main character needs to do to get in the business and get his act together. Knightley is charming but is not realized as a musician and I did not buy her character entirely, even though her chemistry with Ruffalo is fine. It would have been better to cast a musician to actually try to deny the offers and become more independent. Adam Levine, CeeLo Green, Hailee Steinfeld, and especially Catherine Keener are pretty good in this film.

Yes, again, the movie is predictable and the construction and execution was a bit off in the beginning of the film, but it holds together nicely when Dan loses his job and the film begins. It is a crossover between Jerry Maguire, Inside Llewyn Davis and Once. The latter comes to no surprise since the director is the same director of this film, John Carney. It is a light-hearted and small entertaining film that persuades you to get up to try a failed task again. It is kind of an uplifting musical entertainment and I was smiling because I got rid of all the familiar clichés in my mind and went for the ride. The characters are the movie for me and based on the performances and inspiration, I liked it.

***