By 
“BEGIN AGAIN” ****
There’s something magical about the greatest capital of the world. No matter whether you were born here, how long have you been here, or how often you visit the Big Apple, the sense of bliss and novelty is perpetual. The big lights, the crowds, the parks, the faces of freedom, every aspect inspires and moves its visitors. In this musical romantic comedy, a young couple of Brits come to Manhattan so he can persuade his career. In the middle of the buzz, she ends up being dumped, but her meeting with a failed executive will bring her some hope, and will also awaken her gifted voice and compositions. Desperate and coping with the abandonment, she refuses at first, determined to jump on the first plane back to England, but becomes involved in the executive’s idea of recording an album in open areas, places of touristic views, and spots where the spirit of the town is better appreciated. Following his Academy Award Winner love tale over the streets of Dublin, “Once”, director John Carney uses the story of this chance of a lifetime, to create a love letter to New York City throughout rhythms. Perhaps he also cultivates a fascination for the city, and this exhilarating feeling is transported to the screen, creating an irresistibly cheerful and colorful film about being young and trying to make it on the Big Apple.
Keira Knightley is fascinating as Gretta, the aspiring singer who enchants Mark Ruffalo’s ears and heart, but is left alone by her fiancée, played by Adam Levine. She plays her role with such charisma and vivacity making it impossible not to fall for her, and her quest for joy. The director is very smart with his choices of narrative: he’s able to manage a story of entertainment and contemplation, with the same preciseness. In one hand the film is a funny and charming love story about people who loves making music, and in the other he proves that his film goes much further. While she only accepts participating on the project in order to help healing and overcoming the frustration, the executive is trying to overcome his business failures and sees on her the opportunity to accomplish something incredible. Carney makes an amazing film about connections, about love for people and for the city, and mostly about the joy of living and having the chances to restart at anytime. It’s also a modern look on the urbane shapes of Manhattan, with so much brightness and glee, making it the most uplifting film of the summer. And there’s one memorable scene where the director remarks that there’s always a way of exploring the city and discovering its simple pleasures: the camera follows the singer and the executive walking throughout the city wearing headphones, listening to great classics while they absorb the magic of the streets, the faces and the lights. The sequence gets the sort of result and consistency that Gene Kelly did as he once danced on the rain. Must-see!
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