With that being said...
La La Land (2016) (rewatch)
I love this movie. The songs are great, with A Lovely Night probably being my favorite if I had to choose. The performance of Another Day of Sun just might be the most fun I've had with any musical in film. Gosling, and Stone are very likable, with Stone surprising me yet again how good she really can be, she owns the screen during Fools Who Dream, as if she didn't have already when she immediately appears in the film. Deep characters? Hardly. But, they're relatable, charming, and when they hurt, you hurt.
The best parts of the film are the beginning, all the way to the observatory scene, and the climax. It didn't lose me during the middle, not at all, but those bits are so good it's hard to ignore that the middle, while excellent, and still just as good as everything I've watched in 2016, can't quite like up to the beginning, and end. Again though, just slighty less engaging. Maybe it's because those bits slow down, and rely more heavily on the drama, when the film is at it's best when it's full of energy, I don't know. It's still great stuff all around.
Visually, this is a drop dead gorgeous film, and demands to be seen on the big screen. Bright blues, reds, and yellows galore, and with a more than capable cinematographer there to make it all the more stunning. I love how it's not completely a movie purely built on nostalgia like I was expecting it to be. Sure, you can clearly tell Chazelle took inspiration from those big overblown musicals from back in the day, but it never feels like it could've been a hidden gem discovered 60 years late; it has modern sensibilities, and it's a better film for taking the harder route of making this kind of movie work in 2016 without being tacky, and "been there, done that."
The only complaint I have really is the dancing. Completely passable, but this definitely isn't Gene Kelly. Still, you have to respect Gosling, and Stone for giving it their all, and it's still well choreographed. All in all though, this is without a doubt the most fun I've had with a film all year, the best screen musical since Sweeney Todd, and confirms that Damien Chazelle just might do the best film endings in modern cinema (seriously, this guy knows how to close a movie!)
The Verdict (1982)
Paul Newman, Sidney Lumet, and David Mamet come together for a court drama. Can I just stop right there, and call it day? This is great stuff, one of those court dramas that's going to make you sweat with anticipation, all while Newman's character hangs on a thin moral thread, which makes for a good character study. It can be watered down a bit by a few instances of an over the performance every now and then, some questionable direction in some scenes, mostly with Newman, and Rampling together, who I don't really have a believable romance together; even after the reveal with the character, I found it to be a little pointless. Still, as I said, with so many masters on board giving their all, it's hard not to fall for this one.
La La Land (2016) (rewatch)
I love this movie. The songs are great, with A Lovely Night probably being my favorite if I had to choose. The performance of Another Day of Sun just might be the most fun I've had with any musical in film. Gosling, and Stone are very likable, with Stone surprising me yet again how good she really can be, she owns the screen during Fools Who Dream, as if she didn't have already when she immediately appears in the film. Deep characters? Hardly. But, they're relatable, charming, and when they hurt, you hurt.
The best parts of the film are the beginning, all the way to the observatory scene, and the climax. It didn't lose me during the middle, not at all, but those bits are so good it's hard to ignore that the middle, while excellent, and still just as good as everything I've watched in 2016, can't quite like up to the beginning, and end. Again though, just slighty less engaging. Maybe it's because those bits slow down, and rely more heavily on the drama, when the film is at it's best when it's full of energy, I don't know. It's still great stuff all around.
Visually, this is a drop dead gorgeous film, and demands to be seen on the big screen. Bright blues, reds, and yellows galore, and with a more than capable cinematographer there to make it all the more stunning. I love how it's not completely a movie purely built on nostalgia like I was expecting it to be. Sure, you can clearly tell Chazelle took inspiration from those big overblown musicals from back in the day, but it never feels like it could've been a hidden gem discovered 60 years late; it has modern sensibilities, and it's a better film for taking the harder route of making this kind of movie work in 2016 without being tacky, and "been there, done that."
The only complaint I have really is the dancing. Completely passable, but this definitely isn't Gene Kelly. Still, you have to respect Gosling, and Stone for giving it their all, and it's still well choreographed. All in all though, this is without a doubt the most fun I've had with a film all year, the best screen musical since Sweeney Todd, and confirms that Damien Chazelle just might do the best film endings in modern cinema (seriously, this guy knows how to close a movie!)
The Verdict (1982)
Paul Newman, Sidney Lumet, and David Mamet come together for a court drama. Can I just stop right there, and call it day? This is great stuff, one of those court dramas that's going to make you sweat with anticipation, all while Newman's character hangs on a thin moral thread, which makes for a good character study. It can be watered down a bit by a few instances of an over the performance every now and then, some questionable direction in some scenes, mostly with Newman, and Rampling together, who I don't really have a believable romance together; even after the reveal with the character, I found it to be a little pointless. Still, as I said, with so many masters on board giving their all, it's hard not to fall for this one.