La La Land (2016)

[AniNate]

The first half is pretty much a total joy, but it really hits the "third act doldrums" hard, and it becomes a lot harder to get swept up in the remaining musical interludes because they start feeling more like padding than moving the story along. But the music itself was excellent and Stone and Gosling radiate chemistry. 2/3rds of a masterpiece.

 

Also, I think JK Simmons needs to be an asshole music-related boss in every future Chazelle joint.

[cannastop]

La La Land is a beautiful movie that redeems itself in its final 10 minutes.

 

While the movie is filled with gorgeous set-pieces, by the middle, I was yearning for something with higher stakes. Near the end, I thought to myself "This movie better deliver by the end, or this was kind of pointless." It rose to that challenge.

 

Overall, this is an A.

[filmlover]

Saw this again tonight, and it's still wonderful. The crowd reaction was the same as it was at the advance screening (applause after both the opening number and the ending), although Mia calling Sebastian "George Michael" got a lot of uncomfortable laughter.

[La Binoche]

Yeah this didn't really stick with me. I lower that B+ to a B. Not bad but overrated as fuck. 

[Ethan Hunt]

This thing is absolutely infections. Gotta bounce in my step now. 

Edited December 29, 2016 by Ethan Hunt

[baumer]

Loved every minute of it until the end.  They asked me to spend 2 hours with two characters I absolutely adored and you watch them grow and go through good times and bad.  Then they both find a way to follow their dreams and just when you think it's going to end perfectly, she's married to someone else, has a kid and has completely forgotten about him.  He owns the bar that she named and then they see each other and they nod.  WHHHAAATTT!!!!!  You can't do that.  You can't make me love them and then tell me that it was all for not as they do not end up together.  I get that they were going to somewhat of a Casablanca type ending (all the gin joints in the world...) but I absolutely hated the decision they made to just end their relationship.

 

I still give it a 8.5/10 but that ending knocked a point off for me.  

[cannastop]

25 minutes ago, Christmas Baumer said:

Loved every minute of it until the end.  They asked me to spend 2 hours with two characters I absolutely adored and you watch them grow and go through good times and bad.  Then they both find a way to follow their dreams and just when you think it's going to end perfectly, she's married to someone else, has a kid and has completely forgotten about him.  He owns the bar that she named and then they see each other and they nod.  WHHHAAATTT!!!!!  You can't do that.  You can't make me love them and then tell me that it was all for not as they do not end up together.  I get that they were going to somewhat of a Casablanca type ending (all the gin joints in the world...) but I absolutely hated the decision they made to just end their relationship.

 

I still give it a 8.5/10 but that ending knocked a point off for me.  

I felt kind of the opposite. Without the ending, I wouldn't have liked it all that much.

Also, I wasn't really charmed by the leads. I didn't really like them as characters.

Edited December 31, 2016 by cannastop

[baumer]

Yep, I guess everyone has their preferences.  I loved the two together and I think they have a lot of chemistry in every film they're in.

[filmlover]

Ryan and Emma had excellent chemistry in Crazy Stupid Love as well. They didn't have any in Gangster Squad but that whole film blew anyway. So of course everyone wants to see them end up together! The ending of this is what makes it an even greater movie than it already is, though.

[baumer]

The ending didn't work for me in the slightest.  I guess we'll just have to disagree on that point.  I loved the rest of it though.

[cannastop]

4 minutes ago, filmlover said:

Ryan and Emma had excellent chemistry in Crazy Stupid Love as well. They didn't have any in Gangster Squad but that whole film blew anyway. So of course everyone wants to see them end up together! The ending of this is what makes it an even greater movie than it already is, though.

Haven't seen either of those movies. Maybe that's the reason I didn't feel anything special about these two actors in these roles.

[filmlover]

2 minutes ago, cannastop said:

Haven't seen either of those movies. Maybe that's the reason I didn't feel anything special about these two actors in these roles.

Crazy Stupid Love is great (and has one of the funniest "big reveal" scenes ever in a movie)! Watch it! Don't bother with Gangster Squad, though.

[Kvikk Lunsj]

On 12/9/2016 at 8:33 PM, Water Bottle said:

It's well made, funnier than I expected, and had a good time. Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone are fantastic.

 

Alas the movie didn't make me fall in love with it and it does have some flaws. 

 

B

Pretty good. I loved the costumes, music,acting, cinematography, and the sets.  I did not like ending and the last 5 to 10 minutes kept making it felt like it was going to end.  It feels like the return of the king 

3.5/5   

[La Binoche]

Ryan Gosling can't sing. 

[lolifofo]

If this is the best movie of the year, then 2016 was a pretty shitty year for movies. It's not bad, but it definitely doesn't deserve the colossal praise it's getting. Also, could they sing any quieter? I could barely make out what they were saying...And yeah the ending didn't work for me either.

 

B-

[Dr Awesome]

This is the first time in maybe a year and a half that I post on these forums. That's how good this movie is. I saw it again today and I loved it even more the second time around. 

 

I took my little sister who wants to be an actress when she grows up and she loved it. Heck, the first time I saw it was right around finals time and it motivated me to continue doing what I'm doing no matter how hard it gets or the negativity that surrounds one daily. It's a beautiful film too look at (I say it wins the Oscar for Cinematography) and the music itself is marvelous (it better win Best Score). Is the singing perfect? Nope, but that's what makes it so great. Emma Stone was phenomenal and after seeing it twice, I was still impressed with her performance. Ryan Gosling is lovable and they both have such a great chemistry. Damien Chazelle has done it again. Can't wait for whatever he has stored next!!! 

 

A lot of people are complaining about the ending, but I loved it. You can't have it all and that's how it is in life tbh. It's definitely my favorite movie of the year. 

 

A

 

[Ezen Baklattan]

The more I think about it, the ending is truly spectacular.

 

While yes, Mia and Sebastian do not end together, and the fantastical montage of what could have been may very much serve as salt to the wound, the final glance at each other showcases how Mia and Sebastian, while realizing that they had to choose between securing their dreams and being together, ultimately did leave a handprint on the worlds that each other created. They still found a way to live their dreams, and they will never forget the impact they had on each other's lives.

[The Panda]

1 hour ago, Spaghetti by the Sea said:

The more I think about it, the ending is truly spectacular.

 

While yes, Mia and Sebastian do not end together, and the fantastical montage of what could have been may very much serve as salt to the wound, the final glance at each other showcases how Mia and Sebastian, while realizing that they had to choose between securing their dreams and being together, ultimately did leave a handprint on the worlds that each other created. They still found a way to live their dreams, and they will never forget the impact they had on each other's lives.

 

The ending is the glue that really brings the whole movie together.  The epilogue is gorgeous and really impacts you exactly how it's intended to.

 

I love the subtlety of it, and instead of leaving you with an open ending (how I thought it was going to my first viewing), it kind of closes with an open question.  It shows two roads Sebatian could have had (even if the montage shows it more idealistically), he could have had her or he could have his dream.  He gets one, and the other nameless man gets the other.  

 

It's a nice look at reality, at how relationships with others shape you.  How you can meet somebody perfect for you, but on a different path, and you're left with the option to give up your goals and dreams, or to part ways.  It's brilliant.

[redfirebird2008]

It was very good, but feels overhyped just like 95% of the Oscar movies each year. 

 

8.5/10 

[RobinHood26]

The ending was perfect, it pissed me off, but it was needed, it added 10x the depth to the film, that ending is what life really is.