So, remember the music industry? Okay, so it still exists, but the notion of an A&R guy stumbling across the next big thing in a local bar and pushing their talent seems rather quaint in an era when artists have no shortage of tools to promote themselves. But we suppose a movie about a musician using Bandcamp, blogs and Facebook to build up their fanbase would be pretty dull, so here we are with “Begin Again” starring Keira Knightley and Mark Ruffalo.
You might remember this one when it premiered with at TIFF last year under the name “Can A Song Save Your Life?” The film tells the story of washed up record executive who has damaged every personal relationship in his life, and the salvation he finds in the sweet voice of a young, British ex-pat living in New York City. He hopes she can be his ticket back into the biz, and she hopes just to land on her feet. Directed by John Carney of “Once” fame, this is obviously a music powered tale, but sadly as we noted in our review, none of the songs are really all that memorable.
Co-starring Hailee Steinfeld, Catherine Keener, Mos Def and a pretty charming James Corden, “Begin Again” opens in limited release on July 4th. Watch below.