Tuesday’s Top Trailer: Begin Again

Welcome back to a weekly feature here at Movies with Abe, Tuesday's Top Trailer. One of my favorite parts about going to see movies is the series of trailers that airs beforehand and, more often than not, the trailer is far better than the actual film. Each week, I'll be sharing a trailer I've recently seen. Please chime in with comments on what you think of the trailer and how you think the movie is going to be.

Begin Again – Opening July 4, 2014

I saw the poster for this film last week after I had already selected the trailer that I was going to write about, and a quick visit to IMDB put it front and center for me this week. Since his breakout hit “Once” in 2007, director John Carney has made two small Irish films, and he’s back with a bigger American film that looks like a blast. Had I watched the trailer without knowing that Carney was its writer and director, I would have presumed that it was something entirely different, at least for its first half, mainly because of the insertion of “Ex” into each of the main characters’ classifications which seems much more appropriate for blockbusters and big studio films. Yet the second half of the trailer reveals a sweeter, more artsy side to the film, which involves two people making music together and bonding that way. This looks like a very enjoyable ride due to its plot alone, but it’s also worth noting the talent involved. I loved seeing Mark Ruffalo play a crazy, endearing guy in “Infinitely Polar Bear” at Sundance, and this looks like the perfect follow-up (though this one may actually have come first). Keira Knightley has done some great things recently, and this is a new arena for which she seems well-suited. Hailee Steinfeld continues to choose strong roles in her days as a young actress, and it’s nice to see a good mix of actual actors like Catherine Keener and real-life musicians like CeeLo Green and Adam Levine in the supporting cast, as well as Mos Def, who straddles that line. A summer release seems perfect for this movie, which embraces the (city) outdoors and should hopefully prove to be a winning and magnetic experience.