I can only describe this as a corny, commercialized version of Once – an observation made less surprising when you see that director John Carney was the creative force behind that superior picture and this sentimental drivel. The cast leads one to think that Begin Again will be a showcase, but that’s not the case as Mark Ruffalo and Keira Knightley appear to be set on Auto-Pilot for the duration. It’s the whole lightning in a bottle scenario or maybe lightning doesn’t strike the same place twice…something with lightning for Carney – Once was something special and Begin Again feels derivative.