Keira Knightley sings: a phrase to put off any moviegoer with a delicate disposition. However, John Carney’s tuneful follow-up to Once is a tender rom-com blending music, love and friendship. Knightley (who, shock horror, actually sings pretty well) is Greta, a Brit in New York abandoned by her rock star boyfriend (Adam Levine in a minor role), who is encouraged to sing in a bar where she’s spotted by veteran A&R man Dan (Mark Ruffalo). He hasn’t signed an act for years, but falls for her folky charms and they end up recording an album outdoors around New York. It unravels into a charming union, the high point of which is Greta and Dan’s night-time wander around Manhattan, playing each other their favourite songs.
Mark Adams