Full Movie Reviews
Rating of
3/4
Who said Oscarbait has to be boring?
Indyfreak - wrote on 08/25/2017
A joyously energetic tribute to Hollywood musicals, LA LA LAND is more entertaining thanks to having an innocence rarely seen on modern cinema these days. The characters are world weary but not too cynical, the mood is light but not too superficial, and the direction is undeniably stylish is vibrant w/o being too distracting. This was once the norm for Hollywood films, not just musicals. But then we grew up but perhaps unfairly left such means of storytelling behind. For better or worse.
Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling are excellent together and apart from each other as big dreamers who become lovers amidst the hectic if not cutthroat world of show business lurking behind the glamour of Los Angeles. If there's one complaint that can be fairly leveled at LA LA LAND, it's that the story is …
Rating of
4/4
La La Land- Carnivorous Couch Review
CarnivorousCouch - wrote on 03/08/2017
One of my favorite bands is the Talking Heads. There are a number of their songs that I might call their best on any given day, but I think the one that has always resonated with me most is “Life During Wartime”. It’s a bleak, deceptively energetic song about how living through war strips human beings down to a state of bare subsistence. At the height of wartime, human beings no longer think about things extraneous to their survival. To live through war is to lose the taste for nice things, such as notebooks, dancing, and music in general. Lead singer David Byrne repeatedly wails, “I ain’t got time for that now”. This song is a sad but clear-eyed observation of how times of great strife and conflict impact our relationship with the art we consume, and the sober conclusion …
Rating of
2.5/4
It is a City of Stars
Gabe - wrote on 03/08/2017
First off, musicals are not my thing. I also don't get to the multiplex much anymore, but I had to see this film, because the critics were in love with it. Well...my take is, it's just OK. It's more a love letter to the city of L.A. than it is a love story, I mean, the main characters do not end up with each other in the end. But, I'm fine with that. My biggest problem is with the script itself. The story just was not that good. It was 15 minutes too long and quite frankly I'm not sure if these were good people. Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling's characters definitely loved each other but yet, could not make it work. I think they were too self-involved to actually commit to each other. I'm not saying they had to end up together, but I feel they did not even try to make it work.
Come for …
Rating of
3.5/4
La La Land - Movie Review
Matthew Brady - wrote on 01/12/2017
"I guess I'll see you in the movies".
"La La Land" follows Mia (Emma Stone), an aspiring actress, and Sebastian (Ryan Gosling), a dedicated jazz musician, struggling to make ends meet while pursuing their dreams in a city known for destroying hopes and breaking hearts. With modern day Los Angeles as the backdrop, this musical about everyday life explores what is more important: a once-in-a-lifetime love or the spotlight.
Back in 2014, there was a film called "Whiplash" that blew everyone away, including me. It was my 2nd favorite movie of that year and I had my eye out for the director next project. Wasn't very long until Damien Chazelle next film in was in post-production and was already a serious Oscar contender. I think "La La Land" and "Silence" was my most anticipated movies …
