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.

Saw this yesterday and really enjoyed it; hadn't really read the reviews, so wasn't sure what to expect. Agree that it's not really a musical as such, more a film with singing and dancing. No, the leads are not Debbie Reynolds and Gene Kelly, but the fact that it is less than perfect in that department adds to it's charm. I loved the ending and thought it fitted perfectly with the story rather than a typical Hollywood perfect ending.

WITHOUT SOUNDING TOO SPOILER-Y - the film is about chasing dreams; both got their dream in the end and, although the wistful smiles in the last scene suggest that perhaps they both realise things might have turned out differently, I think they're happy with where they both ended up. That's the way I took it anyway .

I think it's interesting as everyone's interpreted it a bit differently

It's a bonkers film. Bits of brilliance. Bits more like am-dram. Some catchy tunes and a genuine chemistry between the two leads.

Came our feeling like I'd just got off a roller-coaster - my head was spinning! I thought it was called La La Land because that's where the writer must have been to write it!

It's a sort of must-see so you know what people are talking about! Last time I felt like this was after watching The Grand Budapest Hotel.

GreedyDuck & BagelGoesWalking I completely agree with you. I wept and haven't stopped singing the songs all week.
I did tell myself to ignore all the rave reviews before viewing so that I wasn't expecting too much.
I think I must be an old romantic; loved the fantasy moments and the technicolor. Ryan Goslings portrayal of a melancholic jazz buff rang true to me, him and Emma Stone were just gorgeous and the fact they weren't entirely polished dancers didn't matter at all. Lots of favourite moments especially the pier scene choreographey where Sebastian plays with his hat...perfection. January blues fixed.

I just couldn't get into the film. I hated it from the opening number.
However, my husband seemed to love it and he hates anything like that.

I am thinking about watching this movie this weekend. Very good IMDB and rotten tomatoes rating and good public reviews.

I absolutely loved it and would watch it again tomorrow (I only saw it 10 days ago). No it's not a standard Hollywood musical but so what? I grew up watching all of those and love them but this film has its own charm. I love jazz which might help but it's not really jazz iyswim. I thought the leads were brilliant and the film looked gorgeous. I loved it from the opening number (can't get that out of my head!) And yes, I cried.

Disappointing!

Music - uninspiring
RG's piano playing was like a new piano player - very plinkle plonkle, no ability to caress the keys.
RG's performance - well I really didn't care - someone who honks their horn loudly is a dick. Hard to make him some hero.
ES's performance better than his but not much to get her teeth into, much of it just froth. Only dramatic bit was at the end, which I quite ignored (so about 20 mins of the whole movie)
Singing - not great
Dance routines - well ok if you like watching non professional dancers.
And very close up so no impression of them flying, dashing effortlessly round the floor like the old musicals (probably cos they can't).
Story line - shallow
The opening dance sequence - well ok but nothing i'd want to see again.
The 'amazing' band RG joined - well their music sounded like a poor 1990s effort, maybe reach the top 40s. Bit embarrassing to try and pretend they were doing world tours on the strength of that.

Sad that such poor stuff can be so over rewarded. Shows what a sham the whole thing is.

*ignored should be enjoyed

i don't like it, too much dancing

Watched this on a flight yesterday!

(Wasn't expecting much as the title I find completely naff 😼 although I do love RG!)

My overwhelming feeling was just "Nice!" Not bad, not great just nice but, is it worth 14 Oscar Nominations and 6 wins? IMO definitely not! ES won the Oscar for best actress - puzzling! She is hardly Bette Davis - again just nice!

Indulgent sycophancy overall! Was ok to watch for free on a flight but wouldn't want to pay £15 a head to see it!

I saw this a few weeks ago, but happened to hear one of the tracks from the soundtrack over the weekend -- the 'audition' song by Emma Stone's character reminiscing about her aunt who inspired her to act and who lived in Paris and apparently jumped into the Seine barefoot once. This struck me as far weirder for a key emotional moment in the film, and one of the better songs (which we're clearly supposed to find moving and 'real' as its gets ES's character her first film and role and paves the way for her success).

For one thing, is this an American tourist's vision of Paris as essentially cutesy 'Amelie'? Had the writers even seen the Seine, which is huge, fast-flowing, full of speeding bateaux-mouches, and has very few places to get out if you fall/jump in, and is in fact pretty dangerous? Would they have seen it as equally romantic if the aunt jumped barefoot into the Hudson/Mississippi?

And then in the second verse we're told 'she lived in her liquor/And died with a flicker' -- so the inspirational aunt has a drink problem (which is fact makes it less mysterious why she might have jumped barefoot into the Seine....), but which makes her less 'cutesy' as a random 'inspirational figure'?

My question is, do we hear anything else about this character elsewhere in the film, or is she just a 'cute' prop to give ES something to sing about which has some vague connection to Paris?

I want to watch this.