La-la Land

[echt]

Well, I saw this today. It was very good, and I was brought up on the weekly "Hollywood Musical" on BBC, so came equipped with the musical checklist.

I struggled at first as in my head I wanted to hear (and see) the old timey stuff instead of the contemporary re-imagining that is done in this film. Once I relaxed into it, I loved it and will watch it again. I liked the way the actors' feet were included in dancing shots. I had not imagined either Gosling or Stone as singers or dancers, nor are they perfect, but it hardly matters. The dance with that shot in is lovely.

The feel good factor was lost by the end, though the ending was the bit I liked.

There was a feel good factor??

Absolutely loved it. Best film I've seen for years.

Been humming the tune for 2 days since I saw it.

freddo arf at Australia being a mere "test audience ", that is some superior attitude there! Presumably USA was a mere "test" as well

very funny SNL sketch

Just what we've all been talking about!

lol

I want with no expectations as hadn't read any reviews.

I thought it was poor. Neither of the leads could sing or dance although the acting was good.

The film felt disjointed and badly put together to me.

None of the music stood out. The plot was lame. I found it all really boring.

Reading the reviews would only have disappointed you more busy. I checked and it had 8/10, I probably wouldn't give it more than a 3 or 4 personally!

I enjoyed it. I grew up watching a lot of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals, and liked the techinicolour visuals and the references to other films. The ending was more nuanced than I expected and I liked it as an alternative to the standard (hackneyed IMO) 'follow your dreams' narrative.

As I child you're told you can do anything; as an adult you realise that doesn't mean you can do everything. Follow your dreams, but in doing so realise you will sacrifice some of your other options. It's a rare person who doesn't wonder what might have been.

I'm of the overhyped group unfortunately, didn't think much of the musical numbers, didn't feel any chemistry between gosling and stone so was unaffected by the ending, it just didn't leave an impression on me, haven't thought about it again until this thread.

I love musicals and every one I've seen has had some lasting impression on me, my favourite being phantom of the opera, the relationship between rossum and butler was believable and I could feel it and between rossum and Wilson, it left an impression on me and still does years later, I get the DVD out every coupl of months or so and am hopefully going to see it on stage soon.

Unfortunately this just wasn't for me, I certainly won't give it a second watch

It makes me think of all these celebrity programmes where they have celebrities doing things averagely rather than the actual trained people doing things exceptionally.

It think it would have been better with 2 unknown leads who were amazing at singing and dancing. This was lacking that wow you get from hearing a really talented singer or watching a natural dancer.

I felt the same way about Mama Mia.

i dont agree, i prefer better acting and average singing and dancing than souless perfect singers.
i am a huge musicals fan, but i think there is a certain vulnerability in the performances that make the film. Some of the best performances in musicals are by non singers ie Yul Brynner and Rex Harrison

Amusing how divisive this is! Am in the passionate pro camp as was DH. I LOVED it although came out in tears. Saw my parents at the weekend they felt the same and are going again

Struggling to understand the negative responses - but world would be very dull if we all liked the same things.

*i was in tears not dh

Worst film I've seen in a while! Can't understand the hype at all . It was like watching a bad school play...quick everyone, it's time to do that dancing part. The storyline was weak, and I think probably the casting was bad, she can't sing, he can't dance, so it was in no way natural looking. Wished it would just end

I saw it yesterday with DH. I really liked it. I loved the Disney-esque/Mary Poppins feel to some bits. I loved the music running through it and i thought there was real chemistry between Emma Sone and Ryan Gosling. I didn’t mind that neither were the best singer or dancers. I think it kept it more real for me. It was a real nod the the old musicals but reimagined in a more modern way.

See everyone loved Mama Mia as well and I just thought it was the most awful thing I'd ever seen. Although the scenery was lovely and the music was at least good in that one. Not the singers though - they were terrible.

I thought it was awful. I was cringing the majority of the time and it made me want to laugh when they broke into song. It was dire!
I love musicals, have seen loads on stage but this just didn't work for me.

I hated mama Mia too and I put this in the same category of cringyness

They couldn't even sell it themselves when they were on graham norton so I was dubious about it.

Agree bruffin

Loved the characters, the bit where the do the "what if" and he kisses her instead of pushing past her sent a jolt down my spine

It was sexier than anything

I liked it. I liked the old-fashioned nostalgic feel and the way it managed to be uplifting and sad at the same time. I thought although the leads were clearly not professional dancers they put their hearts into it and they have chemistry and I quite liked the imperfect performances.

The ending was fantastic. But I saw this film as I loved Whiplash, and there is no beating the spectacular, spine-tingling end of that film.

A 7 out of 10 from me.

I loved it. I can't understand the comments saying they didn't have chemistry. I thought they did.

It was really emotional though I wasn't expecting that. I thought it'd be a happy ending.

In the end it made me sad really. I think it was trying to make a point about Hollywood endings, that happy endings don't always happen in real life. But I do like a happy ending in a film and I felt really invested in them as characters so I really didn't want them to have someone else. I didn't like that. And I also felt like in the brief shot we had of Mia at the end like fame had changed her a bit.

We went to see it last night - I liked it, but expected to love it.

The songs weren't memorable, which was the biggest downer for me. Musical songs have to be memorable!

There was also a cringe-fest scene when he's playing in the club surrounded by black musicians. She's dancing surrounded by black women. It just seemed so white-washy.

I liked some of them routines - the one when the girls are getting ready to go out.

But the ending - massive anti-climax. I cry at the drop of a hat, but didn't even feel emotional at the ending.

It was good, but not rush out and by the DVD and rewatch it at the earliest opportunity good.

I can't actually believe it's had so many Oscar nominations!

I'm really surprised by people's reactions on here

Purpleme, I went to the cinema with 3 friends. They thought it was ok-ish at best

For me somehow it touched my heart, my soul, I went through all the emotions of love and found it hard not to cry at the last 5 minutes...

I thought the songs were wonderful (apart from the freeway one and the girlfriends-one (somewhere in the crowd) which were a bit too ... i don't know.) am still humming the songs.

The exciting thing is that Damien Chazelle has made 2 amazing movies now, and he is so young, he'll be making loads more films.

Me too, purple
I actually went knowing nothing about it and was so happily surprised. Just loved it. I thought it was fun and beautiful and romantic, and captured the passion of dreamers. Loved the old-time feel.