La La Land

[croyde]

Saw it last night and we were both really disappointed. Was expecting High Society or On the Town but it was a mishmash of Fame, a tiny part Singing in the Rain, a moody indie film and I don't know what.

The lighting was terrible and inconsistent with the idea of a bright zingy cinemascope musical although I did enjoy the camerawork and the one shot scenes.

Miss Stone was lovely to look at but are we really supposed to believe that they had no idea how eachothers lives panned out after they separated plus what kind a valet parking gives you your keys only for you to walk miles trying to find your car

[Eric Mc]

I kept my expectations in check so didn't set myself up to be disappointed.

Of course it's not going to be up there with the "classic" Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire era - but it was a great revival of an older genre in a modernised format.

I hope we see a few more films along this line just to see if the genre has any mileage in the current era.

[Cobnapint]

Saw it 3 weeks ago and still can't get the music out of my head. Great movie, 9/10.

Particularly loved the dance sequence in the lay by.

And if this doesn't become a major West End hit at some stage, I'd be very very surprised.

[Robertj21a]

Cobnapint said:

Saw it 3 weeks ago and still can't get the music out of my head. Great movie, 9/10.

Particularly loved the dance sequence in the lay by.

And if this doesn't become a major West End hit at some stage, I'd be very very surprised.

Good heavens, you're easily pleased !

Little dancing, little music, little story. Could most certainly do [a lot] better...... 4/10.

[Odhran]

When I went to see this approximately 10 people left the (packed) screening early. Also at the scene where she goes for the audition and breaks into song when she's asked to tell a story the majority of the audience burst into awkward laughter

Really enjoyed it though and the soundtrack. Would watch it again.

[Eric Mc]

It's an "acceptance" thing.

Some people can't see how bursting into song in a drama "works". That's their problem , I say.

[Challo]

CalNaughtonJnr said:

Challo said:

Watched it last night with the missus. Really enjoyed and it's such a feel good movie. As many have said it's beautifully filmed.
I didn't realise that Gosling learned the piano from scratch to play the role.

He didn't!!

So why does every report claim he did?

[HybridAero]

Very impressive film, and I've never been into musicals.

I think a lot of its appeal is from having a great soundtrack.

[jbudgie]

Sorry, awful music and not much of a film, you've all been conned again by Hollywood.

[Robertj21a]

jbudgie said:

Sorry, awful music and not much of a film, you've all been conned again by Hollywood.

Thank goodness for sanity. I was beginning to think I must have seen a totally different film !

There's really so little in it (and hardly anything in the first hour) that I'm amazed so many people claim to like it.

[p1stonhead]

jbudgie said:

Sorry, awful music and not much of a film, you've all been conned again by Hollywood.

Wow thank god you are here to give us our opinions. We will all be sure to check with you next time before deciding whether or not we like a film.

Perhaps if you had written or directed it, it would have been better recieved?

Edited by p1stonhead on Saturday 11th February 20:35

[Eric Mc]

jbudgie said:

Sorry, awful music and not much of a film, you've all been conned again by Hollywood.

Why should I be "conned" by anyone?

I liked it because I liked it - not because anybody tried to convince me to like it.

As the great John Brosnan used to say, "It's only a movie".

[coppice]

Perhaps jbudgie would like to nominate some favourite films - we can then be beastly about his dreadful taste ?

As Eric says , grown ups tend to enjoy films in their own right and not because of their publicity .One reason why, for example , I far , far preferred Nebraska to the multi Oscar winning Twelve Years A Slave , which I thought was a very poor film elevated only by the sensitivity of its subject matter.

Lala Land had huge publicity and ,just like The Artist , it absolutely deserved it.But if for example your filmic taste tends to the Fast And Furious tendency (to quote one especially crappy genre )you possibly ain't going to enjoy a musical .

[PixelpeepS3]

a female co-worker took her girlie mate to see this to cheer her up - she hadn't really researched it.

turns out the film could have been written about the mate and her life - that's what she needed cheering up about.

she cried pretty much through the whole film.

[Evanivitch]

Shakermaker said:

The wife didn't believe me when I said it would be a musical, she was very keen to see it and then was disappointed with it overall.

I however, enjoyed it overall. Personal scale probably a 7/10 film but I was able to see why it has won all its Golden Globes - all the dance scenes were one-shot so no edits in them, and the filmwork was excellent.

Very similar to my experience, apart from the girlfriend laughing at the cheesy absurdity of much of it she came away quite disappointed. Personally I thought it delivered exactly what I expected.

[croyde]

PixelpeepS3 said:

a female co-worker took her girlie mate to see this to cheer her up - she hadn't really researched it.

turns out the film could have been written about the mate and her life - that's what she needed cheering up about.

she cried pretty much through the whole film.

I watched the Butterfly Effect at the cinema, has a nice ending, sort of.

When the DVD came out, I sat down with my heavily pregnant wife to watch it. I didn't realise that the DVD version has the directors ending that was considered far too dark for a cinema audience and not the best thing to show a woman weeks away from giving birth. Oopsie!!

[jbudgie]

coppice said:

Perhaps jbudgie would like to nominate some favourite films - we can then be beastly about his dreadful taste ?

As Eric says , grown ups tend to enjoy films in their own right and not because of their publicity .One reason why, for example , I far , far preferred Nebraska to the multi Oscar winning Twelve Years A Slave , which I thought was a very poor film elevated only by the sensitivity of its subject matter.

Lala Land had huge publicity and ,just like The Artist , it absolutely deserved it.But if for example your filmic taste tends to the Fast And Furious tendency (to quote one especially crappy genre )you possibly ain't going to enjoy a musical .

No problem,
I liked Pulp Fiction, MIB 1, Independence Day, Arrival, King Creole , and a few others !

[coppice]

I'll mark you up on Pulp Fiction and Arrival but sadly you lose all your points ,and actually go into a a negative score , for even admitting to watching Independence Day(which, obviously, I saw by mistake) which was mindless , overhyped (July 4 release day geddit ?) derivative pap . MIB - you've got me there ; oh hang on that was.... err.... some sort of kids' film , right ? Or was it the one about insurance?

[jbudgie]

coppice said:

I'll mark you up on Pulp Fiction and Arrival but sadly you lose all your points ,and actually go into a a negative score , for even admitting to watching Independence Day(which, obviously, I saw by mistake) which was mindless , overhyped (July 4 release day geddit ?) derivative pap . MIB - you've got me there ; oh hang on that was.... err.... some sort of kids' film , right ? Or was it the one about insurance?

MIB= Men in Black

Saw Independence Day by mistake eh

Good effort.

[rubystone]

MattyB_ said:

I f**king loved Whiplash. Barely anyone I know has seen it, despite me insisting on how fantastic it is.

Me too. Simply wonderful. I was dragged along to watch La La Land. Thought it might be another Les Mis. It wasn't, thank heavens. It was rather good actually. Ending was perfect too.