REEL DEAL: BEGIN AGAIN"- John Carney Brings Back Musical Magic On The Big Screen

“If music be the food of love, play on,” wrote William Shakespeare over 400 years ago, reminding us of the way that music can inspire and speak to our emotions and connections in a deeper and more profound way than simple words.  It’s no wonder, then, that the cinema has embraced the power of music to capture and enhance the screen’s powerful connection to the human spirit.  No one knows that better than filmmaker John Carney, whose 2006 film ONCE went from being the find of the Sundance Film Festival to winning the Independent Spirit Award for Best Foreign Film, earning a Grammy nomination for its soundtrack, and winning the Best Original Song Academy Award for the romantic ballad “Falling Slowly” (composed and performed by the film’s stars, Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova.)  The stage play based on the film then went on to win the Tony Award for Best Musical. 

REEL DEAL: Kiera Knightley Takes On Adam Levine

Maroon 5 front man Adam Levine may have won several Grammy Awards, sold millions of albums worldwide and judged the hit TV series The Voice, but in the movie BEGIN AGAIN, he gets upstaged as the spotlight turns to actress Kiera Knightley.

“I’ve never done anything like this,” admits Knightley who is best known for her costume dramas and period films such as “Pride & Prejudice,” and “Atonement,” as well as the Pirates of the Caribbean movies.

“My character has pretty much died in everything I’ve done for the last five years,” she jokes. “I decided I’d like to do something where I didn’t have to go through heavy emotional turmoil and die, if at all possible.  There’s a touch of emotional turmoil in this, but in the end I found it to be incredibly hopeful. It’s rare to find pieces of work that are so full of hope.”

REEL DEAL" Adam Levine Makes Film Debut In "BEGIN AGAIN"

Although he’s no stranger to the camera, having been a coach on the NBC show “The Voice” for several seasons, and making his small screen acting debut on the hit FX Drama “American Horror Story,” music star ADAM LEVINE has never tried dramatic acting until he was approached by John Carney to be part of the upcoming movie “Begin Again.”

“I was honored just to be asked, and right off the bat I fell in love with the script.  To have John believe in me is really exciting,” says Levine.  “John saw something in me that was this character Dave– whether that is flattering or not, I can’t tell, but I would not have considered doing a film unless I was really connected to the material.  I love John’s tone – he is a musician, and I think his sensibilities are those of a musician so we get along famously.”

REEL DEAL: Begin Again Closes Tribeca Film Festival, Opens Juky 2, 2014 in PH

The Adam Levine, Kiera Knightley and Mark Ruffalo starrer BEGIN AGAIN has been selected to close the 13th Tribeca Film Festival on April 26, 2014.

From writer-director John Carney (Once), the movie originally titled Can A Song Save Your Life? is a soul-stirring comedy about what happens when lost souls meet and make beautiful music together.

Gretta (Keira Knightley) and her long-time boyfriend Dave (Adam Levine) are college sweethearts and songwriting partners who decamp for New York when he lands a deal with a major label. But the trappings of his new-found fame soon tempt Dave to stray, and a reeling, lovelorn Gretta is left on her own. Her world takes a turn for the better when Dan (Mark Ruffalo), a disgraced record-label exec, stumbles upon her performing on an East Village stage and is immediately captivated by her raw talent. From this chance encounter emerges an enchanting portrait of a mutually transformative collaboration, set to the soundtrack of a summer in New York City.

REEL DEAL: First Look for "Begin Again"

From John Carney, director of the critically-acclaimed movie ONCE comes another tale of music and love..

BEGIN AGAIN is a a soul-stirring comedy about what happens when lost souls meet and make beautiful music together it stars Keira Knightley, Mark Ruffalo, Adam Levine, Hailee Steinfeld, and CeeLo Green.

Gretta (Keira Knightley) and her long-time boyfriend Dave (Adam Levine) are college sweethearts and songwriting partners who decamp for New York when he lands a deal with a major label. But the trappings of his new-found fame soon tempt Dave to stray, and a reeling, lovelorn Gretta is left on her own.

Her world takes a turn for the better when Dan (Mark Ruffalo), a disgraced record-label exec, stumbles upon her performing on an East Village stage and is immediately captivated by her raw talent. From this chance encounter emerges an enchanting portrait of a mutually transformative collaboration, set to the soundtrack of a summer in New York City.

BEGIN AGAIN opens in cinemas nationwide in August 2014 and is distributed by Solar Entertainment Company.