La La Land

[save lilo!]

Feb 19, 2017 0:11:26 GMT -4 Mugsy said:

I saw it last night and while I enjoyed it, and was impressed by some of it, I can't say I'm all rah-rah best picture for it.

The opening scene on the highway was something, though. Did they close off that portion and have traffic just continue all around in the background? What would those commuters think when they see all those stopped cars with people dancing on them? I guess that's not so strange in LA.

I was going to write that they probably closed down part of a freeway (it looked like the merge onramp) during the weekend, and the choreographer confirmed it in an interview.

Isn't this movie sort of a nostalgic recreation of old Hollywood musical movies? In that way, this type of movie has been created and recreated and imitated over and over.

I just have a general dislike of nostalgic movies and TV shows. As an Asian-American woman whose parents are immigrants, this recycling means I'm never going to see a version of myself represented.

[jynni]

Late to the party with this one but finally got around to renting last night and ended up really enjoying it. I had some minor quibbles re: pacing and music but overall found it pretty enjoyable.

I was reading some reviews and discussion after the fact and it seems the ending is a hot point of contention but I loved it. It totally made the movie for me. Loved that they referenced the "what if?" but didn't go there. My 20 year old self might've hated it but my 36 going on 37 year old self thought it very honest and real without being unnecessarily depressing or dramatic.

[forever1267]

I was at Griffith Observartory last weekend, and there were several times that I saw people getting a picture of themselves doing the La La Land Movie Poster shot there.

One of the duos were two women dressed up as Emma and Ryan, so I think that was some professional or at least semi-professional shoot.

[Deleted]

I have lost track as to whether this is now popular or unpopular opinion, but damn I HATED HATED this movie. And I love Emma Stone, so. I tend to dislike self-referential and self-reverential movies about Hollywood, so I guess I should've be surprised at how much I disliked it. Admittedly, I'm also pissed that they beat out a song from "Moana" (a movie I adored - and why more than one song from Moana wasn't nominated, I have no idea) at the stupid Oscars.

[Deleted]

Not liking La La Land seems to be pretty popular, in my observation it's one of those love it or hate it movies. And the people who hate it really HATE it.

I love it and have the soundtrack on my iPod. However I will admit that while I like Emma Stone, she should not have won Best Actress. I think Ruth Negga should have. Loving got almost completely overlooked during awards season and that kind of annoyed me because it's a wonderful little movie.

[scarlet]

I had zero interest in seeing this when it was in theaters and haven't tried to rent it, etc, but it was on HBO last night and I was home and figured I'd give it a shot. I ended up mostly loving it. Ryan and Emma have fantastic chemistry and the story kept me engaged. And I actually loved the ending and the little "this is what could've been, but it's not and we're both ok with that" scenario. It felt both sad/melancholy and yet...right.

Anyway, I'd give it 4 out of 5 stars from me.

[lpatrice]

I tried watching it on HBO twice and I couldn't. The first time I lasted 30 minutes, and the second time about an hour. I just couldn't get into it. I was bored to tears. I might try to slog through today but just based on the hour or so I saw, I am shocked that it was nominated for and won so many awards. I thought both Gosling and Stone were blander than bland; neither can sing or dance (which is one of the main reasons why I quit it). And it was just too cutesy. (From a directing standpoint, Whiplash was better). To put into perspective, I also tried watching Suicide Squad and quit that too. Ugh.

I'm guessing the movie benefitted from nostalgia and the fact that Hollywood loves movies about itself. Take away the star factor, and I have a feeling the reception would have been a whole different. Would a LaLa Land starring two unknowns and a different director, acted and directed the same way have been as successful? I doubt it.

And I remain disappointed that Emma Stone won an Oscar for this, because she didn't really do much! OMG. And it sucks because from what I hear her performance in the upcoming Battle of the Sexes is probably the best of her career and she really stretches herself and plays against type.

[laurenj]

Sept 17, 2017 16:41:15 GMT -4 lpatrice said:

I tried watching it on HBO twice and I couldn't. The first time I lasted 30 minutes, and the second time about an hour. I just couldn't get into it. I was bored to tears. I might try to slog through today but just based on the hour or so I saw, I am shocked that it was nominated for and won so many awards. I thought both Gosling and Stone were blander than bland; neither can sing or dance (which is one of the main reasons why I quit it). And it was just too cutesy. (From a directing standpoint, Whiplash was better). To put into perspective, I also tried watching Suicide Squad and quit that too. Ugh.

I'm guessing the movie benefitted from nostalgia and the fact that Hollywood loves movies about itself. Take away the star factor, and I have a feeling the reception would have been a whole different. Would a LaLa Land starring two unknowns and a different director, acted and directed the same way have been as successful? I doubt it.

And I remain disappointed that Emma Stone won an Oscar for this, because she didn't really do much! OMG. And it sucks because from what I hear her performance in the upcoming Battle of the Sexes is probably the best of her career and she really stretches herself and plays against type.

I watched this last night and while I got through the whole thing, I played on the internet throughout so it definitely didn't hold my attention the way a movie with that many award nominations should. Maybe I would have enjoyed it more in the theater.

A lot of the beginning stuff was too cutesy, the song and dance numbers were the worst part of it for me.

The actual story bits were more interesting and I did think Emma Stone did a nice job. Best Actress worthy...I don't know, but it was a good job.

[americanchai]

I just forced myself to watch it because I don't like to hate on something with no actual firsthand knowledge of it. The first five minutes made me want to throw my TV (boring music/dance number) but overall it was pleasant. I wish LA looked that beautiful. The only songs I liked were the ones that didn't have any singing, to be honest - the planetarium song and the piano tune he played over and over. I'm not a Gosling fan and I would suggest that he sleepwalked (slept-walked?) his way through this movie. I could see them as a cute couple but I wouldn't suggest that they have futures as singers/dancers.

I think the only reason this movie got so much acclaim is that people that work in film love films that seem to be homages to film forms of the past. Please don't bring back musicals. Those were the most borings parts of this film. The scenery was lovely.

[LAX]

I finally got around to watching it. I didn't hate it but I didn't love it either. I was bored through the music and dancing parts and didn't think any of the songs were catchy or memorable. In the end I had a hard time understanding how this film was Oscar worthy.