Begin Again Analysis

De La Salle University – Dasmariñas

College of Liberal Arts and Communication

Communication and Journalism Department

FILM ANALYSIS: BEGIN AGAIN

Submitted by:

Sionna Rose C. Avellaneda

COM31

Submitted to:

Mr. Neville Carbon

December 18, 2014

SYNOPSIS

The film Begin Again is about two complete strangers connected with only one thing in common – music. The story follows Gretta James (Keira Knightly), a British singer-songwriter, who went to New York City with her long-time boyfriend and musical partner, Dave Kohl (Adam Levine) when he lands a deal with a major record label. Things progress smoothly in the beginning until Dave starts to drift away from Gretta after getting bigger attention in the music industry and ultimately cheats on her with an affair with one of Dave’s producers when he went on a trip to Los Angeles. Reeling from her break-up, she finds her best friend Steve (James Cordan), a street performer, and accompanies him to one of his gigs. Persuaded by Steve, Gretta sings onstage one of her original songs, getting little attention from the audience and further ruining her mood.

This is where she meets Dan Mulligan (Mark Ruffalo), a struggling music producer of a major record label who is having a hard time adjusting to the change in the music industry. He is separated from his wife Miriam (Catherine Keener) and has a slightly distant relationship with his teenage daughter Violet (Hailee Steinfeld). After being fired from his job, he goes to the same bar where Gretta was performing. Captivated by her music, he offers to sign her to his former company which she first declines but eventually accepts.

They go to Dan’s former label Distressed Records to meet Saul, Dan’s business partner and co-founder of the label, but he doesn’t see the same potential Dan sees in Gretta. Unaffected by Saul’s rejection, Dan gathers a ragtag team of talented musicians who can play for the recording of their album for free. Filming and recording in the streets and...