09 January 2017

La La Land, 2016 - ★★★★

There are many reasons why I've been waiting to see La La Land for what seems like such a long time. The next film from Whiplash's Chazelle, or even Stone and Gosling, a modern day musical, nothing but critical praise since it debuted at Venice, that magical piece of City Of Stars used in the trailer. I tried lowering my expectations but it was perhaps inevitable that I was going to be slightly disappointed.

Disappointment is perhaps too strong a word for a film which fixed a smile on my face more or less throughout. I'm not doubting that it's anything less than a solid four star film but for me the magic of the early scenes faded and only reappeared for the brilliant epilogue. There's a huge section in the middle where La La Land stops being a musical and that's perhaps is the source of disappointment.

I'll almost certainly be seeing the film again next month when it closes Keswick Film Festival and I think with some distance (not to mention listening to the soundtrack which I'd avoided before seeing the film) I'll enjoy it a lot more.

January 09, 2017 at 03:43PM

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