I very much enjoy Knightley's work but just didn't buy the reality or depth of her character. More angst or even a little desperation when confronted with the darkness of the music world was really needed to sell this movie and Ruffalo was outstanding. Keira just seemed out of place with a scrunched up nose and laugh as a response to most emotional stimulations.
Still a great actress but the movie could have been so much better.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/begin-again-director-criticizes-keira-898189
shareAs much as I love John Carney, this was just a bit sexist. I mean why did he have her in the movie in the first place, knowing she wasn't a musican? And then he went on to praise Mark Ruffalo, who I also love, but still. Why cast her and then insult her capabilities as an actor? Because she has an entourage? And I do not believe Scarlett Johanson would've been better. To me she's just as glam and her A-list status would prevent her from contributing the needed believability and substance of a struggling, lovesick singer-songwriter. They probably should've casted a young, rising performer like they did with Marketa in Once, but my guess is they cast Keira because she could bring a lot of people in. One good thing I got out of this was learning about Sing Street. I looked up the trailer, and while not into 80s music I love his work and might rent it one day. Even if its not good I'll enjoy listening to Irish accents for 2 hours.😍
Wildcattin'...Wildcattin'. Pow! I'm gonna go.
As much as I love John Carney, this was just a bit sexist.
Calling her a 'supermodel' is dismissive and implies that she only got where she is because of her looks... Even if she has modelled before, she's an actress first and foremost, and a model second. Whatever he thinks of her abilities, she has a pretty lengthy performing career behind her that's actually greater than HIS experience in the industry.
I don't have a problem with people being sexist if that's what they think - so if that's his opinion then fine... but it's a bit condescending and smacks of 'little woman' syndrome to imply that she's only ever asked to look pretty.
"Your mother puts license plates in your underwear? How do you sit?!"
I wasn't sure how I would like her performance given the dust up from the director... but here I think he's off base. I thought she was wonderful in the role. Some of what she does is quite nuanced and you needed an experienced lead to play well with Mark Ruffalo.
You know, just once I'd like to meet an alien menace that wasn't immune to bullets!
Agreed. I didnt see anything wrong or insufficient with her acting whatsoever. I just watched this movie last with zero background info on it, no idea what it's gonna be about, I did know the stars but that was it. I thought Keira was wonderful.
shareI agree with you completely billqs. She gave such an amazing performance in my eyes that now I am so genuinely curious as to how the director really wanted her to play the role after reading that. Being criticised for that role by the director is the last thing I would have ever expected yet it happened, this totally genuine and appealing character portrayed by her is being ridiculed by the driving force of the movie itself. All you can say about it is that it is bizarre, how could we possibly have known what went on there, it just doesn't make sense.
I can only assume that he wanted something extremely raw, along the lines of what we saw in 'Once' where there is nothing that seems remotely pre-canned about the delivery from the actors. Whilst Keira is a superb actor I can for a minute suppose that some of her acting skills despite being highly refined, and albeit diverse, come across as decisively calculated and 'readied' where as the director wanted something more organic. She didn't deserve the public bashing in my opinion but then again he is doubt an amazing director, and he should have the final say should he hope to keep his standards up.
It was rude and unprofessional for John Carney to make these comments. I was really disappointed when I read them because I absolutely love this film. I've never been a big fan of Keira Knightly but I really liked her performance in this film and it made me think that she is probably similar to this in real life.
Obviously John Carney wanted an unknown musician, like in Once or Sing Street, but as somebody else said, an amateur might not have come off well next to Mark Ruffalo. He basically blamed Keira for not being something she would never be (an indie musician), but he is the one who cast her, knowing she is not a musician, so he shouldn't have publicly criticised her; as the director, HE is the one to blame if he wasn't happy with the film (which I can't understand anyway, because as I said, I thought the film was wonderful).
Particularly to call her a 'supermodel' and say that "I like to work with curious, proper film actors as opposed to movie stars". Keira has two Oscar nominations, so yeah, that's a horrible thing to say. He also talked about her having an entourage, but as someone else said, Keira has done a lot of small indie films. She is very low-key in her personal life and I think he was exaggerating about this. Funny how Mark Ruffalo and Adam Levine supposedly didn't have entourages but Keira did. This is why many people thought his comments were sexist. I also find it hard to believe that Kiera Knightley is more full of herself than Adam Levine (whom Carney called 'quite unpretentious').
As a singer myself, I thought Keira did a pretty good job. Her voice wasn't amazing but it was pleasant and suited the character, who was a songwriter, not a vocalist. Lots of singer songwriters have voices at similar levels to Keira's, but it doesn't matter because they are expressing their own work.
I really felt for Keira and it made me worry that John Carney is just a jerk :( He did apologise, and I hope he was sincere about it. I love his films and can't wait for another one!
No need for sorrow. She just wasn't right for the role. Of course, I have yet to be impressed with her performances, but I'll keep giving her a chance.
shareDid you ever see pride and prejudice? She was wonderful in that film.
shareThanks. I shall check out "Pride and Prejudice." I think Keira has talent, but she feels out of place in many of her films.
shareI'll admit, she has been in random roles not suited for her but it's cool that she tries to keep a variety of her characters instead of playing the same person over and over again.
shareThere wasn't much genuine 'angst' in the whole movie - even Ruffalo comes off as hollow (not because he isn't a good actor, but because the script gives him little to work with. All the characters are pretty thin).
This a film for people who like music and earthy locations, not drama.
"Your mother puts license plates in your underwear? How do you sit?!"
I thought she came across just fine as a singer songwriter waif girl -- and I say that as someone who was in that position and that scene myself, and there were girl artists exactly like the one Keira portrays here. I mean, exactly like her.
She was dead-on if you ask me, and I'm kind of quietly shocked to find the director himself did not think so. Wow.
I liked her and how she treated others. She was both strong and vulnerable and her own person.
I like to watch movies when using the treadmill. Do not know if I would do it otherwise.
I thought that she did a great job.
shareI thought she was fine, Knightley is a weird one to me she's not got the depth to her like her fellow British actresses like Florence Pugh or Carey Mulligan (both I would have loved to see in this part if they made it now as both are great singers). She's a little too cold for this. I think you can feel the tension on screen between her and director Carney that went on behind the scenes.
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