A Not-So Review: Begin Again

It is partially true when I said on my Letterboxd review that I watched Begin Again because I wanted to listen to "Lost Stars" by Maroon 5. It is partially false, however, to think that I watched it solely because I was still the same teenage girl who was still carrying a torch for Adam Levine.

Although, I no longer fancy the band's frontman as I once did, I still have with me that instinct for playing Sunday Morning on Sunday mornings, even without the excuse of "rain is falling". This song, or perhaps the band itself, reminded me to continue watching Begin Again after it had dawned on me that I hadn’t finished it. In my mind, I had to listen to “Lost Stars” no matter what.

From where I left off...Dan walked out of the restaurant after Gretta made a comment about his relationship with his daughter, Violet. She chased him outside, and they had a little set-to, which I thought would escalate into a heated exchange. However, Gretta realized she had crossed a line, ran after Dan, and hugged him from behind.

That scene, it was cheesy. 

The last thing I wanted was for them to develop any romantic feelings for each other. So, although I expected her to stop him before he crossed the road, I still hoped she wouldn’t go as far as hugging him. And yet, she did.

Every time they were close to kissing, I found myself mumbling “nononono” frenetically, as if that would stop them from getting touchy-feely. After they made up, they talked about Dan’s life and how he ended up in a lonely apartment, away from his daughter. This sparked another lark for the two as they went for a late-night stroll, connected only by their playlist. As the night progressed, they grew even closer… so close that Gretta invited Dan over to her friend’s place. As they felt the growing awkwardness as they stood face to face, Steve popped out from his kitchen and spoiled the moment(which I was very much happy about).

From Strangers to More Than That but Less Than This:

Since we’re already on this topic, I was pleased with how the film concluded Gretta’s relationship with Dan. When it was revealed that the parcel he received from her was his splitter, I knew that returning this sentimental item was the unspoken closure they needed to move forward, this time without each other’s company.

The same sense of closure was also evident when Gretta decided to attend Dave’s concert. The venue was packed with a smoky crowd, looking impatient, as they stood there waiting. They had no idea that Dave would surprise them with the ballad version of his song "Lost Stars," which was Gretta's original arrangement. 

I would say, the final sequences from that were my most and only favorite part of the film. I even jested that I only watched "Begin Again" just so I could listen to "Lost Stars." Whenever I hear this song, a lingering despair slowly hushes within me, tapping into my deepest guilt, inexplicably making me reflect and feel bad at the same time. And when Dave erupted with a soothing "Please, don't see..." the air felt like it heaved a sigh of relief, and all worries momentarily suspended, expelled with newfound hope. 

Gretta looked so happy.

Then, as he glanced in her direction and spotted her standing, his eyes sparkled, and he gestured for her to join him on stage. However, as soon as the crowd cheered when the song reached the bridge, Gretta realized that too much had already changed. She decided to leave the venue, emotions pouring out but with a hint of hope for new beginnings, while Dave continued to perform the song, understanding that this was the closure they needed.

As for Dan, I was extremely happy that he got back together with his wife. Unlike with Gretta, I liked how subtle their chemistry was throughout the film. There were little moments they shared that, if we looked more closely, we realized they still cared for each other. What Dan and his wife had was a familiar and comfortable bond that transcended beyond marriage.

I honestly didn’t like the thought of Dan and Gretta ending up together. After all, Gretta came from a five-year relationship that unfortunately wasn’t justified in the storyline, as they made Dave look like a shallow, flat, and one-sided character. If he was meant to be an asshole, and obviously that was their intention, they should have built that up to make him one. Instead, people attacked the actor, Adam, himself (which was understandable), since we were only presented with a side of him that was unlikable, so this hatred was unintentionally directed and projected onto the actor playing the character.

As I said, the meet-cute trope doesn’t always have to end like other romantic films. Two strangers in a third place can remain strangers, become acquaintances, or, like Gretta and Dan—a heartbroken singer-songwriter and a frustrated music label producer—turn into friends.

Gretta, a singer, played by Keira, an actress.

All this time, I thought Begin Again was a film about two people who meet as strangers and, for some inexplicable reason, bond over the course of a night by revealing each other’s playlists.

I remember the scene where Dan asks Gretta about her playlist and says, “You can tell a lot about a person by what’s on their playlist.” This brought me back to how the film started.

When Steve pressured Gretta to come up to the stage—unprepared and heartbroken—she had no choice but to give in to the roar of the crowd. Awkwardly, she took the guitar and dedicated her song to anyone who’s ever been alone in the city, delivering it in a somewhat whispery manner. The moment she started singing, I realized that Keira Knightley, the actress, could sing, but she was obviously not a professional singer.

Pardon the roughness of my words as I am thinking over my head while writing this: Of all the actresses who could act and sing, why did they choose Keira for this role?

I was honestly distracted every time they were recording because her lips were acting more than they were singing. I could hardly connect with her songs as there was nothing to feel about them, which was the opposite of what Dan felt that night when he spotted Gretta regretting she took the stage to bore the people with her singing.

I tried to see the beauty of this film as everyone was saying. However, I felt like they were biased because of how lovable Keira was, failing to see that her charm was best suited for period dramas and not in the colorful city of New York—acting to sing.

I also didn’t appreciate that whenever they were recording a song, her voice sounded so unnatural. Don’t get me wrong, the songs were all promising and easy to listen to, but I was really distracted by the way she sang them. It felt honestly empty to me, so I could hardly connect with the story of her compositions.

My Verdict

Overall, Begin Again is a good film to watch in your spare time. If you’re not too critical of Keira Knightley’s singing, the film offers an enjoyable experience as it delves into the lives of two people whose dreams were tarnished by failures. Plus, the songs are great and relatable, especially “Lost Stars,” which I believe most people know.