Tags
These days I’ll see just about anything from Mark Ruffalo, except Avengers…oh and Now You See Me. I liked him in 13 Going on 30 (2004) and Just Like Heaven (2005), both rom-coms, but The Kids Are Alright (2010) was his breakout role for me. Playing himself as he always does but a bit deeper. Showing range. Then, Foxcather (2014) sealed the deal. Playing wrestler Dave Shultz, Ruffalo nailed the role: charismatic, low key, strutting like a wrestler. He had that walk. Nuanced body language. Quirky characterization continues in Spotlight (2015) when he talks out of one side if his mouth. Looking forward to his critically acclaimed performance in Infinitely Polar Bear (2014).
Also, he’s a steward for the environment, fighting fracking and protecting his Catskill, NY home.
Now, John Carney is a name I’ve heard before but couldn’t place. He directed Begin Again (2013), a fictional narrative telling the tale of two people in love with music, possibly in love with each other. Come to find out Carney also directed Once (2007). Another forbidden love story between two musicians. Highly recommended, one of my top five overall. Carney’s latest, musical-film Sing Street (2016), is an audience favorite at this year’s Sundance Festival.
Albeit with many flaws, such as fractured timeline, cliched alcoholism, and predictable ending, Begin Again is still quite enjoyable. A moving portrayal of familial relationships, Dan (Mark Ruffalo) proposes to produce Gretta’s (Keira Knightley) solo album by recording stealthily around NYC while repairing his family unit. Adam Levine plays Gretta’s pop star husband. The fractured story telling is most aggravating when one particular scene is shown three times, from three separate perspectives as various timelines convene at a single point in time. A straight up narrative would have been better for me.
Overall, a decent way to spend an hour and three quarters if you’re a Ruffalo fan and have Showtime On Demand.
- Subject: 3.50
- Camera: 3.50
- Style: 3.00
- Soundtrack: 3.50
- Overall: 3.75
- Total: 3.45