What makes it special is that it's not another romance about finding a man. It's about finding your people, about being a bit lost in your twenties.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Jul 2, 2020

Begin Again is the best sort of summer movie, with great performances and a solid core. It's clearly a work that comes from love shared by people who enjoyed making it, and that makes it fun for us to watch out in the audience, too.

| Original Score: 3.5/4 | Apr 13, 2016

I've seen happier endings in Oklahoma! and Singin' in the Rain, but this one feels genuine - and in an unexpected way, deeply satisfying.

| Original Score: 3.5/5 | Aug 11, 2014

I really enjoyed this. It's such a nice surprise, because so many so-called feel-good romantic comedies these days are pretty ordinary but there's something special about this because there's a level of reality to it in the performances in the situations.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Aug 8, 2014

John Carney is not afraid of a cliche. After all, Begin Again is a musical, a genre that has always thrived on them. And he does know how to shape them to his own design, which is low-key and slightly tongue-in-cheek.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Aug 4, 2014

The trouble with this movie -- aside from its lack of visual wonder and musical shape -- is that you don't trust its priorities.

| Jul 16, 2014

Another sappy but engaging musical fable from the Irish writer and director John Carney, who made "Once."

| Jul 14, 2014

I found it moving, funny and really rather charming, provoking more than enough laughter and tears to dispel my underlying anxieties about the "live" performances.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Jul 14, 2014

The wholesome, hopeful, let's-put-on-a-show enthusiasm may sound hokey but it's actually infectiously joyful. At the same time, Carney roughs up the edges just enough to make this fairy tale seem somewhat accessible and realistic.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Jul 12, 2014

The result is a film that, while fitting into various great traditions, still bears the unmistakable thumbprint of a singular film-maker.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Jul 11, 2014

This soulful outing is sure to please music lovers. And isn't that everyone?

| Original Score: 3/4 | Jul 11, 2014

Begin Again is a not-entirely-successful movie about not selling out; it's a theme that must concern Carney deeply.

| Original Score: 2.5/4 | Jul 11, 2014

Keira Knightley plays Greta, a Norah Jones-like singer-songwriter... It's a typically brave performance from an actress who is always prepared to try anything.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Jul 10, 2014

It's all a bit easy - though quite nicely performed - and Knightley is never entirely convincing ...

| Original Score: 2/5 | Jul 10, 2014

Can a meaningful glance mean as much as a kiss? In this film, it can, and that's enough.

| Original Score: 2.5/4 | Jul 10, 2014

Keira Knightley brings a sweet soul to John Carney's delightful sort-of sequel to his low-fi hit, Once.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Jul 10, 2014

The film is a fairy tale: sentimental but enjoyable if you put a few protective fingers in front of your face to avoid being slurped to death.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Jul 10, 2014

Ruffalo comes on heavy with the shambolic self-pity, but seems just right for the character he's playing. Knightley, except for the dismayingly tense jaw-cortortion of her singing routines, positively shines.

| Jul 10, 2014

John Carney returns with another feature-length music video, turning the surprising charm of his debut, Once, a novel take on the modern musical romance, into a shameless gimmick. Just call it Twice.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Jul 10, 2014

You can't really blame writer-director John Carney for trying, but despite a few very nice moments, this bigger, slicker follow-up mostly argues that Once should have been enough.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Jul 7, 2014