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La La Land – 2016 Chazelle
- Peter Travers said it best- Chazelle’s La La Land has a “passion for cinema that radiates every frame”. It’s a major achievement, one of the best films of the decade—Chazelle is throwing fastballs here and they’re all hitting
- There’s hints of Jacques Demy with the primary colors and the genre- with obvious indications of realism (perhaps not as down as Demy in some areas but it’s a story of unrequited love—which is unique for a musical)
- There’s I Am Cuba (or PT’s Boogie Nights) with the camera tracking through the party and going into the pool- a stunning sequence and shot
- There’s 8 ½ with the opening in the traffic jam and surrealism break
- There’s Singin’ in the Rain, Mulholland Drive (with the “audition” song/scene with Emma Stone), Rebel Without a Cause, Manhattan from Woody (the conservatory)
- Gloriously shot in CinemaScope
- The opening shot, the traffic jam—the tracking shot that also introduces the two characters- it has ambition, scope, humor (“winter” ironic)—it’s a sonic boom of cinematic style- the announcement of a major auteur- cinematography (camera movement) and choreography with detail in the décor and set design that leaves no stone unturned (every outfit and car color is careful chosen)
- Intentional! Green straws at the coffee shop where Stone works. Blue parka she wears, yellow umbrellas, purple trash cans outside her apartment, red light in the corner of their bed
- Whip pans galore
- The song again- “someone in the crowd”- camera is flying through their house in perfect rhythm. Scorsese shooting Singin’ in the Rain
- I couldn’t find a picture of it- but at Lipton’s place- after the beautiful drawings on the wall of the old Hollywood legends—there are red lights where Stone pauses—gorgeous lighting—cuts to his backstory after that
- Gosling and his chops playing piano—unreal—dedication—believably and suspending our disbelief- I like the Chet Baker voice
- Detail in the décor- Christmas lights at Lipton’s
- The comedic talents of the two actors is readily apparent—as is their chemistry- this is their third time working together already in their young careers— retro, nostalgic, 80’s- piano guitar and “I Ran”- comedic chops
- Ambitious and personal drive—auteuristic mark from Chazelle’s narratives— fate, compromise, determination
- The purple sky- magic hour in long takes—again later with “City of Stars” song at the magic hour- pier at dusk- stunningly beautiful picture frame on a wall décor
- Color tinting
- Their apartment together- the Vertigo-like “green light”
- Winner of 6 Oscars
- Their fight during “fall” season- no long takes or shared mise-en-scene between the actors- it’s cliché maybe with the editing but it’s exemplary. The execution is perfect.
- “audition” scene is the arrival of Emma Stone- actually it’s Birdman in 2014 but this performance, in this masterpiece, cements it
- The flashback at the end is so expressionistic
- It blows my mind that Chazelle and cast/crew did this in two years after Whiplash in 2014—
- Gosling is absolutely perfect for the silent finale where his heart is just about removed- he’s stoic, an actor that underplays almost everything- and there’s no better actor to just do the Steve McQueen thing and “say it with your face”. Stone may give the better performance but Gosling wins the last moment
- A Masterpiece
Drake2020-07-03T10:29:59+00:00
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Hey drake, do you think this a top 100-150 of all time film. I’m going to watch it today. Hopefully it does not disappoint!
@Azman– I do. With the caveat that I haven’t since the theater in 2016 (or Jan 2017)– if forced to decide right now I’d definitely have it in my top 150… little less certain on the top 100. close. Enjoy.
My views on La La Land really changed. I don’t know what it was that made me miss what a masterpiece this is, honestly. I ridiculously underrated it and I’d say that it had to do with how everyone seemed to be completely head over hills in love with it (because if one doesn’t go against the current…) and the fact that back in 2016 when I caught it I was a very different cinema goer. Anyway, here we are, so after a couple of more recent viewings, I can state openly how dazzled I am.
Its magic escaped me at first, but honestly, it is indeed magical. One of the best films of recent years. I think sonic- boom is an exceptionally accurate description of what it all boils down to cinematically speaking, and I love all the intertextuality here in your analysis of the film. I will firmly agree with the Demy comparisons, my mind instantly went to his use of colour and of course the Umbrellas of Cherbourg. Many more casual viewers have made a fuss about the ending and I will just kindly disagree, because the ending is precisely the point – one of the two or three points anyway. The music is very fitting and more than adequate, but interestingly, I think it’s the least impressive aspect. The use of colour is magnificent and the framing is sublime, every shot and frame is so carefully crafted. The fest of colours here is good enough to rival Wes Anderson on his finest day (that is to say the Grand Budapest, even though the Grand Budapest would win on that front). It’s so richly expressionistic, it makes one feel that this is what cinema is all about (and possibly it is). The scene where they dance floating in the planetarium is spell-binding, every dance sequence is wonderful. From an acting standpoint, Gosling does his thing and he’s great as per usual and Emma Stone truly shines here, but not in a conventional way; her eyes are so expressive. I think she’d make an excellent silent film actress. You often highlight the audition scene and that’s indeed a touching moment, but the one where they fight over dinner must be some of the greatest acting two-headers of the decade. The pain and frustration in Stone’s eyes is beautiful and difficult to watch as it feels so real, and of course Gosling’s performance communicates a lot of restrained rage that backs up the astonishing parade of emotions that we see in Stone’s eyes. And don’t get me started on the ending sequence: it’s like a cinematic explosion right there on the screen, a little gift to all film buffs out there with its choreography, music, colours, it’s simply unforgettable.
Moonlight is wonderful, it really is, and on top of that, it is a culturally important film. But this is hands down the best film I’ve seen coming from not only 2016, but 2015 and -perhaps- 2017 as well. Now I can understand. How is it possible to not be in love with La La Land?
Very well said. It baffles me how so many people missed the pure artistry in this. Over time I was starting to doubt whether it was as great as I thought because of all the backlash, but every rewatch I have had has only ever confirmed its brilliance. I know that technically and stylistically accomplished films that initially aren’t recognised as masterpieces will eventually get their due, and we are starting to see that happen here – but I am also getting impatient haha.
I will hit back a little on your point about the music. I consider it the best original film score of the 2010’s (trailed by Moonlight, ironically), and at least among the top 25 of all time. I’m not going to say it’s the strongest aspect of the movie, only because of how excellent it is across so many areas. But Justin Hurwitz has developed a sound that is already being parodied, homaged, and used as a pop culture reference – my favourite example is this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OG6HZMMDEYA
@Declan- I’m glad I’m not alone here. I think it has to do with all the attention it received. I haven’t read a single bad review of La La Land, and everyone loved it. Literally everyone. Critics, audiences and of course the awards came running. When a film gets this kind of attention it is very easy to label it as overrated. And, to be honest, it is not without reason. I think many films just received this negative response because they indeed were so overrated. The Artist, honestly, I don’t even know why everyone loved that movie so much. So simply because it has happened before, people are a little too cautious of a film that is hailed as a masterpiece almost immediately. But this one really deserved all the praise.
As for the music, I think you’re right, though I think the best of the decade statement is a little brave haha. Some songs are very catchy and truly elevate the scenes (like the one parodied in Crazy Ex Girlfriend – they even had them were colourful clothes, haha – “our lawyers won’t let us say brand names”). It’s just that not all of them are on the same level. It was I’d say the least impressive aspect, but when talking about La La Land that is not an understatement. The music, as everything else, is wonderful.
What are some of your favorite movie posters? I could choose many others, but here are some I love:
La La Land: https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61pVLV%2Bz11L._AC_SY741_.jpg – It’s simple and gorgeous. I adore the luscious color design with the violet sunset and Stone’s bright dress, as do I admire the balanced composition created by the streetlight complementing the dance on the left.
Mean Streets: https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMWNmNGY3ZGMtYWQ3OC00Zjg4LWFiN2EtZjM2MDI1YzRiNjg3XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTQxNzMzNDI@._V1_UY1200_CR87,0,630,1200_AL_.jpg – This one is endlessly creative. The gun standing among the buildings, the wisp of smoke, the silhouette design within the skyline… it’s all wonderful,
Blade Runner 2049: https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71NPmBOdq7L._AC_SL1333_.jpg – I suppose the arrangement of this design is not so different than that of any lousy modern big-budget movie poster, but I can’t reach beyond the impeccable color and lighting tour-de-force displayed.
The Thing: https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71gf8OcRQ-L._AC_SL1013_.jpg – Here were have the mysterious imagery at its finest. I love the choice to shroud the figure’s face not in darkness, but in light – eerie shards of it.
Metropolis: https://www.metalocus.es/sites/default/files/styles/mopis_news_carousel_item_desktop/public/metalocus_metropolis_1928_01_0.jpg?itok=Ru9XeSmP – I once saw a list-maker claiming they were absolutely certain this was the only movie poster from 1927 they’d ever find having in a college dorm room. Haha.
@Graham – These are great. I love movie posters– Chinatown, Blade Runner (original for me), Rosemary’s Baby– you mention Mean Streets, The Thing are all on this list– https://parade.com/1003052/samuelmurrian/best-movie-posters/ I’m lucky enough to have about 20 here at home and most are on this list
Hey @Drake- i actually think that the performances in this movie are duelling so I’ll never say that Stone is better it’s unfair (it’s just like saying that Borgat is better than Bergman in Casablanca), Gosling is EVERY BIT HER EQUAL. He’s better than anyone in quiet and stoic performances.
What I really wanna ask is…do you think that it’s better than umbrellas of Cherbourg?
@M*A*S*H – I’d have them in the same tier. I’d like another look at both but gun to my head right now I’d have La La Land in front
I agree that Ryan was better than Emma. He deserved to win the Oscar.
@Ric- I didn’t meant to imply that (if I did) they were a team. But tbh I hated stone’s clichéd character, you cannot give me a second line of description about Mia after saying that she’s a struggling actress.
While Gosling gets- struggling pianist, jazz purist, he’s lazy, unorganized , and a bit distracted (until mia comes in his life) , he’s insecure both about his relationship & career, frustrated at jazz’s underrated status…….
I read an entire article about it :
https://www.vox.com/culture/2017/1/5/14153546/emma-stone-la-la-land-best-actress
It was a nice read. Thanks for sharing this.
Hey, Drake. There’s a Brazilian critic (whose name I won’t disclose) who has quite a few odd takes. They despise Roma, Dunkirk and The Shape of Water, and adore Resident Evil: Retribution, Mean Girls and Death Proof (all of which have received a perfect rating from them). They have opinions I agree with, but I just wanted to show you how bonkers (in my personal opinion, obviously) some of their takes are. Well, they also hate La La Land. Most of their review is pretty crazy to me, but there is one section that is at least very interesting. I’m translating:
“What bothers me isn’t even this empty nostalgia, which until now has been the object of fetish in a bunch of stupid movies and this will certainly not be the last, but what really irritates me is this contempt for the contemporary that is reflected in a very shitty kind of arrogance, even. There’s this reminiscence of classic cinema but everything is solved with a horrendous steady cam. If the film at least bought its own idea, but no, it would rather turn everything into this crazy perfumery where the reference exists more as a moral brand of alleged good taste than as a possibility of resistance.”
I know. I… know. Nothing against this particular critic, but… you know… What do you (and other readers of the site) think?
@Pedro- I’ll let others chime in of course- there are just so many critics, cinephiles, and film scholars are there that are worth reading — I just value my time too much to spend it on those that are not worth reading.
To me it seems like this critic is criticising the perspective the film takes more than the actual filmmaking on display. It’s easy to get lost in the subjectivity of personal opinions over whether the content of a film is valuable since it’s pretty easy to make an argument against any film that way. The other day a friend of mine criticised Lost in Translation as being a “Poor me, I’m so rich” film which is an accusation which could probably be levelled against Antonioni as well. Or maybe Do the Right Thing is troubling in that it inspires people to riot (a real complaint about it when it came out). There’s the gender divide as well – people who complain about there being too many male-driven movies and use that to attack specific films rather than encouraging more women to make movies, and men who dismiss “trivial” films that focus on female issues (a reason why people dismissed Douglas Sirk’s melodramas in the 50s). As you can tell many of these criticisms about subject matter don’t always hold up over time.
On the other hand we get movies being lifted up for having important “messages” but which don’t really persist in our memory simply because they spoke to us at one specific time but didn’t have the artistry to back it up. I still think it’s worth mentioning the content of a film in writing about it, since it’s something the filmmaker obviously cared enough about to make a film about it, but ultimately I feel like focusing on this distracts from the actual craft at hand.
There is that comment about the steady cam being horrendous though… which I can’t really begin to understand given how much the critic brushes over it. I feel like a big claim like that needs a little more explanation beyond just slapping a negative adjective on it.
Hey, Declan. Thanks for your reply. I agree with what you say, this critic (in addition to getting lost in subjectivity quite a lot) really wants to impress/shock everyone else – they think that Shyamalan’s Lady in the Water is one of the greatest of all films (I think top 5 or something). As for the “horrendous steady cam” thing, I think it’s mostly a meaningless word in this context. They’re just saying its horrendous because it doesn’t align with the film’s reminiscence of classic cinema – kind of like saying There Will Be Blood shouldn’t have been shot at all because they didn’t have cameras back then.
So I know that critic isn’t very good, but, by contrast, if anyone wants to read some good stuff, check out this (https://scenebygreen.com/2021/09/29/lavventura-1960/) review right here – and the rest of the site.
Haha, you’re too kind. The blog is still in its infancy but it’s been a fun project collating all my thoughts in one place. Really enjoying your input over there.
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