I told you last September from Toronto about John Carney’s movie “Can a Song Save Your Life?” Carney, who wrote and directed the beloved “Once,” has made sort of a New York version that’s a total winner, a real gem that could be the surprise release of 2014. (This is also Adam Levine’s movie debut, and he’s very, very good.)

Harvey Weinstein bought it, and changed the title to “Begin Again,” (Apparently focus groups really didn’t like the original title, and no one could remember it except me.)

Last night, the whole group had to “Begin Again” to close Tribeca: Carney, Keira Knightley, Hallie Steinfeld, and Maroon 5 front man Adam Levine (also from “The Voice,” tabloids, and a clothing line). Absent, sadly, were Mark Ruffalo, who’s dead on as a down and out loser drunk of an A&R record company guy, Mos Def as his disapproving partner, and Catherine Keener as his ex wife.

“Begin Again,” which rolls out July 4th, will be the most charming movie of the year. When the film started, my actual first thought was, My old friends, I missed these people. How often can you say that about a movie? Plus, the songs by the New Radicals’ Gregg Alexander and Danielle Brisebois (with a couple by Carney and one by “Once”‘s Glen Hansard) are all hits. Everyone one of them.

The story is about Ruffalo’s Dan, who hasn’t had a hit in years, drinks heavily, is in bad shape with his wife and daughter. He discovers unknown Gretta (Knightley) in a small club in New York playing one of her songs. She’s just left her boyfriend Dave Kohl (not Dave Grohl), who’s on the verge of becoming a rock star. Gretta wants to go home to the UK, but Dan convinces her to stay and record an album al fresco, in the streets of New York. The city has never looked better or more romantic. And while Dan and Gretta make their album outside, Carney makes his movie the same way.

And guess what? The beautiful, funny Keira Knightley, who has her breakthrough American movie at last, sings the songs Adam Levine doesn’t. In fact, it’s a weird twist: Knightley the actress sings, Levine the singer acts. For real.

Has Keira sung since the movie? “No!” she replied with a big smile when I caught up with her at the Tribeca Film Festival’s smashing closing dinner at the Tribeca Grill, sponsored by Chanel. “It was torture, and they were so nice about it. But never again!” No album coming? Sounds like Anna Kendrick after her “Cups” was a big hit from the “Pitch Perfect” soundtrack. “I’ve never met her,” Keira said, “Now we have something in common, definitely!”

Don’t be surprised if there’s a lot of awards action on “Begin Again” later in the fall. More on this terrific movie in June as the fun begins…

PS We’re waiting for a clip of Keira singing. Meantime, here’s a great one of the New Radicals’ classic 1998 hit. I’m a big fan of theirs, and I just realized why– they remind me a little of Todd Rundgren. Anyway, Gregg Alexander and Danielle Brisebois are going to have a hot year:

You’d be hard pressed to find as engaging a kid as Grace Kaufman in David Lascher’s “Sister.” She’s the kind of little knockout that Dakota and Elle Fanning, Abigail Breslin, and Shirley Temple were in their day. When “Sister” played at the Tribeca Film Festival on Friday night, it was Kaufman who busy stealing the spotlight from “Veep” star Reid Scott and the always exceptional Barbara Hershey.

David Lascher co-wrote (with Todd Camhe) and directed this first feature about a mildly successful actor, 30ish, in L.A. who suddenly has to care for a child (Kaufman) his parents adopted late in life. The story is a little autobiographical. Lascher, 40, appeared in a lot of teen TV series like “Sabrina, the Teenage Witch” and “Hey Dude” in the mid 90s. He knows the layout of the land pretty well, which makes the inside Hollywood stuff all too real. His “Sabrina” co-star,  Caroline Rhea, the comedian, showed up to lend support on Friday night.

You’d think “Sister” would be formulaic, but it rises above the usual with some complications: Scott, who plays the sarcastically venal wannabe campaign manager Dan on “Veep” so well brings a real edge to the Peter Pan-ish Billy. He has almost no use for his widowed, manic depressive mother (Hershey, in a really nice turn). She wasn’t much of a mother to him and she hasn’t been so good for the late in life adopted child.

There’s nothing wrong with what is called, sometimes disparagingly, a “Lifetime movie,” if it’s surprisingly good. Is there such a thing as an “indie Lifetime” movie? Yes. “Sister” is certainly that, which means I could see it on IFC or Sundance, and on video on demand. Scott jumps out of “Veep” a notch with “Sister” and Kaufman should be working around the clock once casting directors see her.

The Sunday New York Times Magazine cover story this weekend is tied to a Kickstarter campaign for a documentary by Chris Hegedus and DA Pennebaker. Animal rights activist Steven Wise is featured by writer Charles Siebert in his piece “Should A Chimp Be Able to Sue its Owner?” For the last 18 months, the award winning Pennebaker Hegedus Films has been working on a film about Wise and his chimps. They’ve even paid a visit to Bubbles, Michael Jackson’s famous former pet. They’re trying to raise $75,000 over the weekend to help complete their work on “Unlocking the Cage.” I’ve seen some of their footage, and it will blow your mind. Anyone involved in animal rights will want to get in on this ASAP.

Here’s their clip:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/929991495/unlocking-the-cage-a-new-documentary?ref=live

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/27/magazine/the-rights-of-man-and-beast.html?ref=magazine&_r=0

Cameron Diaz can open a movie, even if it has terrible reviews. “The Other Woman” scored $9.3 million last night and is headed to a $25 million weekend. What’s the secret? Diaz is a gifted comedian and knows how to sell a film. Other than that, it’s hard to say.

“The Other Woman” will be a big hit ever for Nick Cassavetes, son of the late legend John Cassavetes. Nick has worked hard for years with lots of films like “Blow” and “John Q,” and was even the proposed director of the never made “Gotti” film. His mother is the famed actress Gena Rowlands. Neither parent… well, look, everyone has to pay bills.

“The Other Woman” also stars Nikolas Coster-Waldaj, who raped his fictional sister last week on “Game of Thrones.” Maybe he’s a draw too. Nikki Minaj, former agitator of “American Idol” fame, is also featured.

“The Other Woman” has a 24% on Rotten Tomatoes. It’s destined for airplanes and VOD. But if it keeps clicking, there will undoubtedly be sequels. So congrats!

At least these people made a movie that people wanted to see. Johnny Depp’s “Transcendence” has transcended its bottom line. It’s a total loss in its second weekend. Out the window: $100-$125 million. Poof. Goodbye. At least it wasn’t Warner Bros.’ loss this time.

First let me tell you: “Amazing Spider Man 2” is a knockout hit. How can you not like Marc Webb’s second part of his trilogy, with Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx, and Dane DeHaan just perfect as Peter Parker, Gwen Stacy, Electro and Harry Osborn?

There’s something about the part 2’s of these trilogies that always works. Part 1 was a hit, and now there’s money. Everyone at the studio is confident, so the filmmakers spread their wings. This “Spider Man,” like the 2nd Sam Raimi episode, has that feeling of everyone on the same page, focused, and enjoying it.

My favorite small thing: Peter Parker’s cell phone ringtone is the old “Spider Man” theme song from the cartoon series. A nod like that means the director is so connected to his project that he finds little flourishes like that. Also, Marvel creator Stan Lee’s “Hitchcock” scene is up front, and Lee has lines. Another nice touch.

There are plenty of smaller supporting roles expanded this time. Sally Field’s Aunt May is wisely expanded. Campbell Scott is outstanding as Peter’s father, Richard Parker (also the name, I realized, of the lion in “Life of Pi”). Top notch actors Colm Feore, BJ Novak, Paul Giammatti, and Chris Cooper are all featured as well.

I can’t give away SPOILERS but I can tell you there’s a gasp followed by a lot of audience talk back toward the end of the movie. And while the whole thing is a roller coaster ride, even the denouement works.

Garfield and Stone are the rare off screen couple who have plenty of heat on screen. Garfield really steers the ship, too. It’s his movie. And while every one is very good (Jamie Foxx steals all his scenes) I continue to remind you about Dane DeHaan. He has ‘star’ written all over him. As for Emma Stone, she’s more than ready for top billing. She’s as good as it gets.

The lavish premiere party was held at Moynihan Station– the famed landmark post office on 8th Avenue. It’s huge, so Sony filled it with VIPS like Daniel Craig and Katy Perry. Pharrell, Kenrick Lamar, Johnny Marr, and Alicia Keys performed live with composer Hans Zimmer, who put together a makeshift rock band for the night that featured a cool singer named Lisa and dj Diplo. Pharrell did a little bit of “Happy,” and he and Keys performed their song from “Spider Man.”

The post office rocked. But still, no window was open for buying stamps. Some things never change.