Begin Again

 

Expectations:
Last weekend, my fiancée and I took a day trip to New Orleans, and, considering that our typical weekend consists of watching Netflix, going to the local theater, and eating cheap pizza, it was quite an exciting day. At the same time, I've lived within an hour and a half of New Orleans for pretty much my entire life, meaning that I've done pretty much all there is to do in The Big Easy. So, in order to throw something new into the mix, we decided to check out this fancy dinner theater with chairs as large as the couch on which we typically watch Netflix. The theater was suggested to us by my soon-to-be in-laws, who similarly love the movies. However, of the films playing at this theater, neither of us really found a film that we had been longing to see. So, we landed on Begin Again!

Honestly, I really didn't know that much about Begin Again. In fact, I skipped over the trailer because Keira Knightley and Mark Ruffalo just don't really go together, in my opinion. Of course, we did watch the trailer before buying tickets, but it was still quite a unique situation, in that I really had no idea what to expect from Begin Again...

Plot:
Begin Again focused on a worn out music producer (Mark Ruffalo), who, much like myself, really lacked in the department of expectations, and a talented songwriter (Keira Knightley), who played second fiddle to her up-and-coming-musician boyfriend (Adam Levine). The use of music to move the story along really hooked me into the plot, which went well beyond music and into the real-life struggles of these artists. Personally, I rarely listen to music for the emotional nature of lyrics and melodies. Instead, I'm a sucker for a catchy tune, and, if the words are nice, that's just an added bonus! Begin Again really made me consider the importance of music, from a lyrical perspective, much like I tend to consider the importance of dialogue and stories told through film. Kudos to the filmmakers for giving me a chance to draw some parallels between life, movies, and music.

Characters:
Early in the film, I couldn't quite take Mark Ruffalo's Dan seriously, because I automatically see Ruffalo as a likeable guy. Similarly, there were moments when I couldn't take Adam Levine's Dave as seriously as I believe he was meant to be taken. Between the two, there were a few inconsistencies in character that may have been the fault of the actors, but, overall, the cast was a lot of fun and interacted very well together.

Negatives:
Miriam, the estranged wife of Dan, played by Catherine Keener, was a bit of an awkward character, in my opinion. The relationship between Dan, Miriam, and their daughter, Violet (played by Hailee Steinfeld) made sense, from a dramatic standpoint, but the revelation of the depth of their struggles with one another was revealed waaaay too slowly. I can't say too much about it without spoiling a good bit of the film, but I just couldn't quite figure that bunch out, which I believe was because of Miriam's critical free spirit.

Positives:
The best relationship award (in a film that was mostly about relationships) goes easily to the friendship of Keira Knightley's Gretta and James Corden's Steve. With Corden giving one of my favorite performances of the year, Steve was just such a likeable guy and a true example of a friend, if there ever was one. Kudos to both Corden and Knightley for subtly giving us an attitude of friendship to strive toward on a daily basis.

Conclusion:
One day, I hope to take the time to write a screenplay or book, giving you guys the chance to share in a story of my own. However, I could never, ever write a song! And, for that reason alone, I was quite impressed with Begin Again for being able to tell a story through film and music, simultaneously. I mean, if you want to impress me, just complete a task that I could never possibly complete. It's as simple as that! Whether its writing a song or building an impressive piece of furniture or changing brake pads, completing a task that I am not intellectually capable of completing just really blows me away. Begin Again really blew me away with its simple story-telling and relatable characters, and I truly believe that anyone would enjoy it. Was it the greatest thing ever? No... But, every single moment was satisfying and filled with feels (that's going to be my new line!). I give Begin Again 3.34 out of 5 stars.

The Croods

Expectations:
One of the most puzzling things in this world is the fact that animated movies rarely receive negative reviews. If you haven't noticed, it's quite true. Sure, there may be a few people who occasionally dislike an animated film, but there is hardly ever a negative critical consensus... EVER. I don't know why this is. If you know, please comment! Anyway, because success is expected, my expectations were high for The Croods, as they would have been with any other animated film. I've even read a few critics who were ready to hand The Croods the Oscar for best animated feature. Regardless, the previews were absolutely hilarious, with the buffalo falling in the fault and what not. So, I decided to become a child for a couple of hours and go watch The Croods...

Plot:
Just like every animated film, there was a definite moral storyline. In The Croods, the story was focused on the family (just like James Dobson), specifically focusing on the father figure Grug (voiced by the indebted Nicolas Cage). The lesson, taught by the story, was great for people of all ages, and I will guarantee that you will enjoy watching this with your kids, if you get the chance. As for the dressing up of the storyline, I was not quite as impressed. Not that it was ridiculously awful, but I felt like I was watching Ice Age, featuring humans! The oblivious nature of the characters was quite inconsistent, leaving an inconsistent air about the film. For an extreme and fake example, one day, the family would not understand what a tree was. Then, they would be perfectly ok with playing on their iPad the next day! This example is a bit over the top, but I wanted to give you a clear for instance. For me, this inconsistency was not an issue, because I just wanted to laugh at the ridiculous characters. However, Oscar voters will not approach the film with the same thinking.

Characters:
The family dynamic of the film was made possible by the creative characters and the events that surrounded them. There were a few characters that I didn't care for, but, overall, they were great.

Negatives:
Usually, characters do not fall to the background in animated films, but the mother of the family, Ugga (voiced by Catherine Keener), was one of the most useless characters. The story was focused on the father-daughter relationship, and there was really nothing for Ugga to do, which is disappointing. On top of that, Ugga's mother, Gran (voiced by Cloris Leachman), was nowhere close to as funny as she could have been. She should have been so so so funny. I envisioned a caveman Betty White for the role, but it just didn't work out that way.

Positives:
The relationship of Grug, Eep (voiced by Emma Stone), and Guy (voiced by Ryan Reynolds) was really what made the film as good as it was. As I said, the father-daughter relationship was great, but it was made even more special by Guy's presence as the love interest of the young Eep. Even with this great relationship, the best (and funniest) character was undoubtedly Thunk (voiced by Clark Duke). I laughed my butt off at his stupidity, and I loved his pet dog/alligator, Douglas. You will also laugh your butt off! I promise!

Conclusion:
After many laughs and a heart warming story, I would definitely say that the critics will have a hard time naming The Croods a rare animated failure. Did I want to see it fail? No, not at all. But, I do want to know what makes animated films so dern bulletproof. Then, I want to go out and make one of them, reaping the benefits without the risk. If your kids are out of school tomorrow and you need a film to watch with your family, I would certainly suggest The Croods. It really is a great family film that no one would deem inappropriate. I won't spoil why, but I will promise that your kids will be screaming "Da, Da, Daaaa" and flailing their arms after watching this film. To be honest, I have been doing for a week! I give The Croods 2.89 out of 5 stars.