Can a song save your life?

Music manager Dan (Mark Ruffalo) is facing the ruins of his life. His marriage to his wife Miriam (Catherine Keener) is on the rocks, he simply can't connect with his pubescent daughter Violet (Hailee Steinfeld), and the prosperous days of his career are long gone. When he just wants to wash down his frustration with high-proof alcohol in a small New York music bar, he hears a great song by the British musician Gretta (Keira Knightley). The young woman is also at a turning point. With the end of her relationship with successful musician Dave (Adam Levine), she has lost all motivation to push forward with her own dream of a career as a singer. But Dan recognizes the great talent that lies dormant in Gretta. This sparks a fire in him that had long been thought to be extinguished, and he makes the young musician an unusual offer: together they are to record an album. But not in a studio, but in the middle of New York, on the street, in the subway, under bridges or in Central Park. After a short hesitation Gretta gets enthusiastic about this unusual project and a musical journey begins that will change the lives of Dan and Gretta permanently.

Two lost souls meet in a big city and find their place in life through their shared love of music. It almost sounds like director John Carney simply recycled the premise of his award-winning hit film Once for his new feature Can a song save your life? and just moved it from Dublin to New York. But even though the constellation seems very similar and music plays a central role, overall Can a song save your life? is far from being a lukewarm rehash. Rather, Carney has once again created a wonderfully charming feel-good film that strays just enough from all the usual clichés to come across as refreshingly different, yet not too brittle.

Refreshingly, the point here isn't to try to force a romance between Dan and Gretta at the drop of a hat. That would also be extremely implausible due to their circumstances. Rather, this beautiful story is about two actually very different people who have been torn from their happy existence and find new happiness and new perspectives for their own personal futures through a shared passion. Such a story could have easily degenerated into dripping kitsch, but Carney strikes just the right tone in both his script and his direction to make his new film seem infectiously life-affirming and just plain charming. For one thing, the chemistry between a broken, yet very likable Marc Ruffalo and a pleasantly understated and endearing Keira Knightley is spot on.

The two act so harmoniously together that by the end you feel like you've befriended Dan and Gretta a bit yourself. The third main role in the film is clearly played by New York, which is not depicted here in typical Hollywood fashion, but just for that reason seems tremendously magical. When the atmospheric images then also combine with the great soundtrack, then something very special is created, which may not necessarily save lives according to the film title, but at least gives the viewer two very wonderful hours.

Can a song save your life? is pure feel-good cinema, as it is unfortunately far too rare in such an unexciting, rousing and sympathetic old-fashioned way. Wonderful actors down to the smallest supporting roles, an addictive soundtrack perfect for relaxed daydreaming, wonderful pictures and a really nice story make this film a must-see for all life romantics and lovers of charming indie comedies. Absolutely worth seeing!

<link http: www.amazon.de gp product _blank>You can buy the wonderful soundtrack HERE

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp