La La Land - Review Thread

*french accent* haw haw haw */french accent*

I can't see how anyone could not like this movie. I just wish it had kept up the energy of the first 30 minutes throughout. But its incredibly well made, nice follow up to Whiplash (which I think is better). Great ending too.

8.5/10

I would say LLL is better than Whiplash insomuch as it's doing something a bit more special. Whiplash is well made for what it is but it's ultimately a fairly conventional drama/coming of age movie. Honestly I've never considered it all that remarkable in the grand scheme of things.

Agreed, it's definitely superior.

Think of the actual drama.  One of my criticisms for La La Land is that I never feel like much is at stake with their dreams.  Oh sure, Gosling can't play the music he wants to and Stone isn't getting any parts and her show flops, but they always bounce right back and press on.  In Whiplash, being first chair is ALL that matters to Miles Teller.  It's all that drives him in life, and without the ability to be the best he has nothing.  Sure, it helps that J.K. Simmons is mercilessly pushing him towards this, but being a drummer is all that the character can tolerate being.  Stone still can work at the coffee shop, Gosling can still land crappy gigs.  It's not what they want, but their pursuit of their dreams doesn't feel nearly as consuming as Teller's in Whiplash.  Whiplash has far superior dramatic work because of this.  La La Land is a more impressive production and has a lot of dazzle and showy elements that work very well, but Whiplash resonated with me far more.

I don't agree with that. You're saying that there aren't intense teachers out there like that? Coaches? Bob Knight ring a bell? Sure they drub it up a little bit, but that's drama, and he's a great antagonist for Teller's character. He desperately wants his approval, yet Simmons' character is unwilling to relinquish that no matter what he does. He's fighting this constant losing battle, but all he can see is this desire to prove Simmons wrong. He pushes himself, even humiliates himself and cuts off relationships in his life for his dreams. Did anyone in La La Land do that? Not really. Sure they grew apart and don't end up together, but in the end they both achieve their goals and have good lives even if they aren't with each other. Hell, they probably could've had careers and their relationships. Big difference in dramatic weight.

Who said he was motivated by money? He had a passion for playing drums, and his conquest became a personal one for himself and to shove it in Simmons' face. It might have been a highly selfish driving force, but it was highly compelling nonetheless.

Pathetic? Not the word I would use. He's extreme and irrational, yes, but not pathetic.

I can see that being the case.