KEIRA Knightley (pictured), Mark Ruffalo and Adam Levine take us on a soulful musical journey in this year’s must-see contemporary drama, Begin Again.
It may be a low-budget independent film, but Begin Again’s charming storyline and exhilarating soundtrack have the feel-good factor to take on a million- dollar studio blockbuster and still come out on top. Knightley is set to win new fans by proving she can hold a tune. She is radiant and authentic in the film’s starring role as Gretta, a painfully shy singer-songwriter. We caught up with the star in London.
Knightley and director John Carney’s interview suite is wall-papered in a modern botanical print and carpeted in plush grey. The Begin Again soundtrack plays softly in the background through hidden speakers. What could be more glamorous? The answer, of course, is Keira Knightley as she sweeps into the room wearing an elegant day dress with sheer full-length sleeves by the Russian designer, Olga Vilshenko.
Knightley’s only jewellery is a ring by Chanel and her glossy dark brown hair is worn naturally, heavy bangs falling over her eyes. She is not wearing much make-up – a touch of smokey black eyeshadow and translucent lip gloss is all that’s needed to accentuate her famously perfect features and porcelain skin.
Unsurprisingly, Knightley is very slender, but also unexpectedly tall and sweetly endearing. Undeniably beautiful, it’s no wonder she is the face of Coco Mademoiselle perfume for Chanel, arguably the world’s most iconic fashion and beauty brand.
She gets stuck right into the interview and talks expressively with her hands to make a point.
“I was very drawn to John’s script. It was refreshing and a complete change from the kind of roles I have recently played where I always seemed to either die in the end, or become neurotic. Dark roles that took me to dark places and maybe I was also getting stuck in too much prep. My role in Begin Again challenged me a lot because I don’t consider myself a singer.
“For professional and artistic growth, I think you always need to try different things and push some-thing new along, no matter how hard, so you don’t get stagnant.”
There’s no doubt it’s been a brave move for Knightley to take on a musical role. She is very modest when it comes to her singing abilities, even claiming she only ever sang in the shower before she agreed to the film.
Knightley elaborates further, almost apologising for her lack of musical experience: “I’m definitely not a singer. Sometimes I would manage to perfect the singing part, and then the guitar playing part. But then I couldn’t sing and play at the same time. It’s really hard! It’s been an interesting creative experience, but I’m not into music at all, compared to the way my husband and all of my closest friends and family are.
“My sister-in-law is a virtuoso violinist and my brother is a sound engineer. Sometimes, unless I’m listening to something very specific for whatever reason, I don’t always notice music when it’s on, unless it’s very loud of course. Sorry!”
Knightley’s husband is none other than James Righton, the handsome co-vocalist and keyboardist for the London-based new rave band, the Klaxons. The couple were married last year in the south of France after a whirlwind romance.
The newlyweds have set up home in London and are often seen out and about in their local park and pub enjoying each other’s company like any other young couple.
Before her marriage, Knightley dated the enigmatic film and TV actor Rupert Friend for several years after meeting on the set of Pride and Prejudice. The 2005 film, based on Jane Austen’s beloved novel of the same name, established Knightley as a household name.
Her fresh portrayal of the feisty Miss Elizabeth Bennet, one of literature’s most enduring characters, saw her nominated for Best Actress at the 78th Academy Awards. Friend is currently based in Cape Town where he is shooting season four of Homeland with Clare Danes, reprising his role as a cold blooded CIA Agent.
Knightley is full of praise for her co-stars Ruffalo and Levine.
“Mark is a great actor and a great person. And although Adam is not an actor-actor, he is most definitely an entertainer. There’s an innate confidence, a swagger, to a successful musician you just cannot fake. Justin Timberlake has the same thing going on.”
She muses: “Maybe it’s because as an actor you have been rejected, probably even rejected very often, so that kind of natural confidence is harder to find in actors.”
What is unusual about Begin Again is that actors are singing and musicians are acting. Knightley explained this presented a unique learning opportunity for the cast.
“The way a musician and an actor communicate with an audience is completely different. When you are a film actor you are protected in this bubble between you and the camera and the director. You are actively pretending the audience is not there. A musician or entertainer, on the other hand, is always aware of the audience, feeding off that energy and giving it back to the audience to put in a better performance.”
When asked about her future plans and if there was any truth to the rumour that she was considering directing, Knightley seemed visibly shocked. “Me, a director? I have never said that. I just want to be more free, that’s all.
“I would love to see more female directors, though. There aren’t enough female directors out there. They are, sadly, underrepresented, even though the ratio of women to men in film school is around 50/50.”
The final question for Knightley was about the ending of Begin Again.
Without giving away any spoilers, Knightley was eager to share her thoughts: “What I liked most about Gretta is at the end she learnt how to do something for herself, and not necessarily just in support of a guy. She has had to learn to stand on her own two feet and I loved that. “Her story is she does it onher own. The ending is perfect. Sometimes the worst thing is to jump into another relationship without thinking. I think the film does have a happy ending. Do I like happy endings? Yes I do.”