+4
It is hard to adequately share the invigorated ardor for La La Land.
At its outset, the cinematographic composition and general mise-en-scène proffer what is banally mundane: a fair dose of pretty faux Technicolor shots, but more critically, a static realism that plentifully abdicates the deteriorating trial of dramatic impact, combined with middling performances bereft of the aptitude to adequately reflect the incorporeal musical phantasms within.
Nowhere to find is a talented ensemble and a devoted portrayal by master singers/dancers. Acceptable thespians under the direction of a helmsperson who has apparently not gleaned much from Demy's quixotic cinematic style (alas) engage in semi-romantic back and forth as they fake their way into a somewhat lacking but fairly entertaining brouhaha of Revisionist Musical cynicism in the grand finale.
Here, the realism-oneirism dichotomy is subjugated to an almost post-modern styling laden with vanilla imagery directed at serving a lackadaisical undertone. This, unfortunately, engenders a predestined maximalism that agonizes the content.
All my criticism notwithstanding, La La Land is far from bad, employing its cinematic tools rather well to create something just a little bit above the decent mark. There is no need to wax lyrical about the merits of the film, but I'm not denying that it is eminently watchable.
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Look, I'm not judging you - after all, I'm posting here myself, but maybe, just maybe, if you spent less time here and more time watching films, maybe, and I stress, maybe your taste would be of some value. Just a thought, ya know.