La La Land

Discuss movies (including free films)
Message
Author
User avatar
kevinknapman
Kids' Choice Awards 2016 Prediction Master
Kids' Choice Awards 2016 Prediction Master
Posts: 2920
Joined: Wed Jun 24, 2009 1:55 am
Old post count: 0

La La Land

#1 Post by kevinknapman » Wed Jan 04, 2017 7:21 pm



Damien 'Whiplash' Chazelle's La La Land is joyous homage to old school Hollywood musicals, a love letter to the city of LA and a tribute to those that dream of making it on it's hallowed streets.
Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone bring considerable charm and chemistry to Sebastian and Mia, a struggling jazz pianist and an aspiring actress, who in time-honoured fashion start off on the wrong foot before, well you can probably guess the rest. Or can you?
Chazelle's playful use and subversion of such cliches keeps you guessing until the end on how this will all play out.
Along the way are plenty of surprises and delights. An all too brief JK Simmons cameo as a restaurant owner, Sebastian's stint playing the synth in a terrible 80's covers band much to Mia's mocking amusement, A conversation about the death throes of jazz which has Mia bringing up the dreaded Kenny G, while a trip to a faded picture house to watch Rebel Without a Cause ends abruptly at the Griffith Observatory scene, only to prompt a visit to the same location for a glorious gravity-defying dance sequence, all of which leads up to a riff on the extended ballet scene in An American in Paris.
La La Land is essential viewing for those who don't think they make 'em like they use to. Wonderfully pure and exhilarating cinema that should be gathering in all the accolades come awards season and rightfully so.
Member No.41 of the "100 free films in 2018" club! 22 seen 78 to go
Recent free films:A Star is Born, Smallfoot, Overlord, The Girl in the Spider's Web, Home Alone

Member No. 41 of the "100 free films in 2017" club! 29 seen
Member No. 41 of the "100 free films in 2016" club! 44 seen
Member No. 41 of the "100 free films in 2015" club! 61 seen
Member No. 41 of the "100 free films in 2014" club! 40 seen
Member No. 41 of the "100 free films in 2013" club! 64 seen
Member No. 41 of the "100 free films in 2012" club! 88 seen
Member No. 41 of the "100 free films in 2011" club! 108 seen
Member No. 41 of the "100 free films in 2010" club! 84 films seen

User avatar
prettyxcool
8 1/2
8 1/2
Posts: 9937
Joined: Tue Aug 25, 2009 11:37 pm
Old post count: 0
Preferred Cinemas: Prefer all Central London, then Islington, Notting Hill, Whiteleys, Shepherd's Bush, Westfield, Holloway, Swiss Cottage, Clapham, WIQ, Greenwich 02, Surrey Quays, Fulham.
Location: London

Re: La La Land

#2 Post by prettyxcool » Wed Jan 04, 2017 11:33 pm

Very disappointing. Girl/boy meets boy/girl story, and career vs romance, felt a little flat for me. The first hour and a half was all so slow and quite boring, but very pretty to look at. The jazz that the aspiring jazz player plays is not the lively jazz I was expecting, it is all so slow, that I really needed matchsticks to keep my eyes open, and the two main characters are quite weak and have only their dreams that is of any interest. However, the last part picks up when Ryan Gosling teams up with John Legend, and Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone are better at acting than singing and dancing. The two leads saved the movie for me as their acting was excellent. And I did enjoy goggling at Ryan Gosling, but I thought he was wasted in this.

I did not feel the energy or the joy that you get from the old Hollywood musicals, which I believe this was a homage to.

7/10
Member No. 17 of the "100 free films in 2019" club. 50 seen so far
My Movie Scores click here

2018 - 100 seen (9 premieres/Press) Also 2 Opera, 1 Netfix, 15 theatres, 2 concerts, 1 ballet)
2017 - 106 seen
2016 - 116 seen
2015 - 120 seen (16 premieres, 2 Gala Screenings). Also 3 theatres/shows, 2 concerts
2014 - 132 seen (26 premieres and 7 Gala Screenings). Also 18 misc. free events/concerts
2013 - 115 Seen (12 premieres). Also 6 theatres/shows, 5 concerts
2012 - 118 seen (23 premieres). Also 12 theatres/shows.
2011 - 133 seen
2010 - 105 seen


User avatar
RevKeith39
The Third Man
The Third Man
Posts: 110
Joined: Fri Dec 20, 2013 12:34 pm
Old post count: 0

Re: La La Land

#3 Post by RevKeith39 » Thu Jan 05, 2017 11:39 am

Huge disappointment after all the hype. A song and dance film with no good songs and very poor choreography. Acting from everyone was first-rate. Which begs the question; why not choose actors with musical theatre background? The 'jazz' was banal, as any jazz fan will tell you. Cinematography was excellent. In the end I wondered why it was a musical at all. The basic story could have been told in 90 minutes instead of 128 minutes with added hoofing. In good musicals the singing and dancing flows out of the situations. Here they felt add-ons with no dramatic purpose. 6.5 only.
Member No. 31 of 100 free films club 2015. 27 seen 73 to go.

User avatar
prettyxcool
8 1/2
8 1/2
Posts: 9937
Joined: Tue Aug 25, 2009 11:37 pm
Old post count: 0
Preferred Cinemas: Prefer all Central London, then Islington, Notting Hill, Whiteleys, Shepherd's Bush, Westfield, Holloway, Swiss Cottage, Clapham, WIQ, Greenwich 02, Surrey Quays, Fulham.
Location: London

Re: La La Land

#4 Post by prettyxcool » Thu Jan 05, 2017 11:44 am

Totally agree with you RevKeith39. Wondered why it got such rave reviews for the song and dance! LOL :roll:
Member No. 17 of the "100 free films in 2019" club. 50 seen so far
My Movie Scores click here

2018 - 100 seen (9 premieres/Press) Also 2 Opera, 1 Netfix, 15 theatres, 2 concerts, 1 ballet)
2017 - 106 seen
2016 - 116 seen
2015 - 120 seen (16 premieres, 2 Gala Screenings). Also 3 theatres/shows, 2 concerts
2014 - 132 seen (26 premieres and 7 Gala Screenings). Also 18 misc. free events/concerts
2013 - 115 Seen (12 premieres). Also 6 theatres/shows, 5 concerts
2012 - 118 seen (23 premieres). Also 12 theatres/shows.
2011 - 133 seen
2010 - 105 seen


The Sparrow
8 1/2
8 1/2
Posts: 6874
Joined: Sat Sep 12, 2009 7:15 pm
Old post count: 0

Re: La La Land

#5 Post by The Sparrow » Thu Jan 05, 2017 4:14 pm

Banal, lacking in passion, superficial and a terrible let down after the wonderful Whiplash.

I struggle to understand why this is garnering so many award nominations. The acting is fine enough but nothing special and the film is mediocre at best.

5/10
Free Films Seen 2016
Jan - 7. Feb - 15. Mar - 39
Apr - 28. May - 41. June - 36
July - 39. Aug - 27. Sept - 42
Oct- 12 and counting. = 286

User avatar
prettyxcool
8 1/2
8 1/2
Posts: 9937
Joined: Tue Aug 25, 2009 11:37 pm
Old post count: 0
Preferred Cinemas: Prefer all Central London, then Islington, Notting Hill, Whiteleys, Shepherd's Bush, Westfield, Holloway, Swiss Cottage, Clapham, WIQ, Greenwich 02, Surrey Quays, Fulham.
Location: London

Re: La La Land

#6 Post by prettyxcool » Thu Jan 05, 2017 8:30 pm

Also I forgot to mention at the screening last night at Vue Islington, about 5 minutes before the film was due to start the Rep from O2 popped his head into the Screen and saw that it was half full and then a crowd of people came in to fill those empty seats, and even after the film started for about a minute, another group of people came in to fill the last of the seats, even the odd seats here and there. Wonder where they came from, perhaps, he persuaded all the people queuing up for tickets in the cinema foyer, to come into the free screening? Very strange! :roll:
Last edited by prettyxcool on Fri Jan 06, 2017 8:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Member No. 17 of the "100 free films in 2019" club. 50 seen so far
My Movie Scores click here

2018 - 100 seen (9 premieres/Press) Also 2 Opera, 1 Netfix, 15 theatres, 2 concerts, 1 ballet)
2017 - 106 seen
2016 - 116 seen
2015 - 120 seen (16 premieres, 2 Gala Screenings). Also 3 theatres/shows, 2 concerts
2014 - 132 seen (26 premieres and 7 Gala Screenings). Also 18 misc. free events/concerts
2013 - 115 Seen (12 premieres). Also 6 theatres/shows, 5 concerts
2012 - 118 seen (23 premieres). Also 12 theatres/shows.
2011 - 133 seen
2010 - 105 seen


sfancy
The Third Man
The Third Man
Posts: 100
Joined: Sat Oct 04, 2014 9:44 pm
Old post count: 0

Re: La La Land

#7 Post by sfancy » Fri Jan 06, 2017 1:26 pm

That is so random! Maybe they had them on a stand by list?

missgotty
Phase IV
Phase IV
Posts: 491
Joined: Thu Sep 29, 2011 2:15 am
Old post count: 0
Preferred Cinemas: Islington, Holloway, Greenwich O2, Leicester Square, Covent Garden, Piccadilly Circus, Tottenham Court Road, Marbel Arch, Hackney PH, Brixton PH, Enfield
Location: London

Re: La La Land

#8 Post by missgotty » Fri Jan 06, 2017 3:30 pm

La La Land was extremely boring, so boring I nodded off. I really wanted it to be great. Brilliant acting and music, apart from that slow tune they keep playing throughout the film which makes you think somethings exciting or dramatic is going to happen and never does! I don't understand all the hype and nominations about this film it's really blah.

3/10

User avatar
prettyxcool
8 1/2
8 1/2
Posts: 9937
Joined: Tue Aug 25, 2009 11:37 pm
Old post count: 0
Preferred Cinemas: Prefer all Central London, then Islington, Notting Hill, Whiteleys, Shepherd's Bush, Westfield, Holloway, Swiss Cottage, Clapham, WIQ, Greenwich 02, Surrey Quays, Fulham.
Location: London

Re: La La Land

#9 Post by prettyxcool » Fri Jan 06, 2017 8:39 pm

sfancy wrote:That is so random! Maybe they had them on a stand by list?
So many? Weird ;) You would expect no more than a handful to be late, but a bunch, at least 20 people! :roll:
Member No. 17 of the "100 free films in 2019" club. 50 seen so far
My Movie Scores click here

2018 - 100 seen (9 premieres/Press) Also 2 Opera, 1 Netfix, 15 theatres, 2 concerts, 1 ballet)
2017 - 106 seen
2016 - 116 seen
2015 - 120 seen (16 premieres, 2 Gala Screenings). Also 3 theatres/shows, 2 concerts
2014 - 132 seen (26 premieres and 7 Gala Screenings). Also 18 misc. free events/concerts
2013 - 115 Seen (12 premieres). Also 6 theatres/shows, 5 concerts
2012 - 118 seen (23 premieres). Also 12 theatres/shows.
2011 - 133 seen
2010 - 105 seen


The Sparrow
8 1/2
8 1/2
Posts: 6874
Joined: Sat Sep 12, 2009 7:15 pm
Old post count: 0

Re: La La Land

#10 Post by The Sparrow » Sat Jan 07, 2017 1:13 am

prettyxcool wrote:
sfancy wrote:That is so random! Maybe they had them on a stand by list?
So many? Weird ;) You would expect no more than a handful to be late, but a bunch, at least 20 people! :roll:
I wonder if they were sent to the wrong screen and then diverted to the correct one.
Free Films Seen 2016
Jan - 7. Feb - 15. Mar - 39
Apr - 28. May - 41. June - 36
July - 39. Aug - 27. Sept - 42
Oct- 12 and counting. = 286

Post Reply