User reviews

I remember when I saw the trailers for this movie, I thought it would be a sad but sweet love story and nothing more. And while it is that it brings so much more flare and beauty that I would never have expected from this. It took me three years to see it and it far out shone any expectation I had.

This movie is infinitely close to when we were young: arrogant, romantic, dreamy, longing for love, but lack of money. Then when we have tasted the hardships and pains of society and finally achieved something, is the person around you still the one you love the most? Only when you have thoroughly pained and loved, can you understand how difficult it is to be innocent love. Only when you let go can you support your dream and fulfill your pursuit. In the end, Mia's fantasy surprised all the audience. This is the fantasy of all sweet love, and it is the most exciting meaning of this movie. I dare say that if there is no final fantasy, or the hero and heroine are together again, this movie will eventually become a second-rate love song and dance drama. Only if you can't get it, can you fully understand the bitterness and sweetness of youth. After all, the most beautiful love is just a flash in the pan. I love you, but I can only wish you happiness. This is the supreme love. This love becomes a part of life and a belief. LA LA LAND, loving you is like loving part of my life.

I watched this as Oscar's had been handed out and I felt it necessary, as is customary - to grant such films my valuable time.

I hate musicals.

It started as we know in a traffic jam. They started singing. "I hate musicals" I told my wife. "Is this a bloody musical" I asked.

She didn't know.

What followed was without doubt one of the greatest cinematic experiences I've ever had. I smiled, I rejoiced, I wept, I rallied, I wept again.

I'll keep this brief. No matter your movie preference, no matter your music type, if you are breathing and cognisant - I urge you to watch this.

It is beauty beyond my words.

It is life in a fleeting moment.

It is music and dance we didn't know we needed.

It is lifting, it is crushing.

This movie went from "I hate musicals" to "this is the greatest movie I've ever seen" in the course of two hours.

I've listened to the soundtrack countless times.

I hate musicals.

It's beautiful.

I have no articulate means to encourage you to watch this other than this - if this 48 year old wisened Irishman can fall for this, so can you.

So please, watch this - otherwise you may miss a life changing event.

The vibrant colors and use of musical scores to set the mood for scenes transported myself back in time. This movie feels not only like a beautifully nostalgic nod to Hollywood of yesteryear, but also that of a timeless love story. Gosling and Stone have a charm to their chemistry on screen during the musical and dance numbers. All these aspects lead to a raw portrayal of love that many experience in life, with still providing a sense of hope and wonder to the viewers. I was entranced from the opening scene until the final note played by Goslings piano. I absolutely recommend this film to any and everyone!

Having just gotten back from seeing 'La La Land', with a rare day off music college, it came to me that it was one of the best new release/first viewings for me in a while.

Very few films in recent memory has left me leave the cinema with my heart properly warmed, a beaming smile on my face, tears in my eyes, feeling uplifted and properly moved. 'La La Land' however has managed that feat. Would also go further to say that it is one of the best modern film musicals after Disney's Renaissance period in the 90s, and very much a modern classic. Am not surprised at all its award wins and nominations (including being a record breaker at the Golden Globes), and if it does well at the Oscars as well there will be no complaints from me.

'La La Land' clicked with me most likely because of my love for golden age Hollywood, musicals (a somewhat maligned genre these days, but while there are a fair share of not particularly good ones there are a bigger number of great ones and even masterpieces), and how it fondly reminded me of what makes me love them so much. Also because of being able to relate to its themes and conflicts, due to being there myself. The talent was also appetising, starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, directed by 'Whiplash's' Damien Chazelle and featuring cameo support from JK Simmons (who coincidentally won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for 'Whiplash), John Legend and Rosemarie DeWitt.

It was just sheer joy to see a film with so much potential deliver on that potential and even more so, having seen a lot of stuff recently film and TV that wasted their potential it was refreshing to see a film actually delivering on it.

Visually, 'La La Land' is a gorgeous-looking film, with lots of vibrant colour that leap out at you from the screen while not having too much of a dizzying effect and cinematography that's not just a dream to behold but inventively done without falling into self-indulgent territory. The music and songs may induce, and has induced, mixed reactions, count me in as somebody who found the songs infectious, emotion-filled and with enough to make one top-tap and hum along.

The musical numbers are winningly choreographed too with non-stop exuberance. The opening number is especially true to this. The script is warm, funny, affectionate and poignant, and also with an honesty. It's not a complex script, nor did it need to be, and neither does it make the mistake of being too simple. The story is admittedly slight in places, then again so were the stories of even the best golden age musicals and they still managed to be classics because of how everything else was executed and because of the atmosphere.

Something that is true with 'La La Land', a film where anybody can relate to its themes. Even more special though is that not only does it pay tribute to musicals and films of the golden age (especially those with MGM), with their bold colour, exuberant marriage of music and dance, it also has a winsomeness and melancholic nature seen in films like 'The Umbrellas of Cherbourg' yet does it in a way that will appeal hugely to modern audiences. Loved that the two leads' relationship and chemistry was much more complex than the love-at-first-sight sort (far from it, more antagonists turned lovers) with a meet cute first encounter (again also not a case).

Chazelle's direction shows someone with a sheer love for film and film-making, more than evident in execution that is affectionate and full-of-life rather than self-indulgent. The chemistry between the two leads and their performances would need to be good to make the film work. No worries there. Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone look so natural and at ease together, nothing looks false and it is easy to root for them and their conflicts.

Both of them give terrific performances, performances so good that less than great singing was immediately forgotten about. Especially Stone who has never been better in a performance of great expressivity and nuance, so many emotions such as vulnerability, strength, cheekiness, charm and buoyancy with never a hint of a heavy-handed touch. Gosling matches her, if not quite as good, showing a very charismatic presence and an effortless twinkling charm. All the support, although basically cameos, registers memorably.

All in all, a dream come true and totally banishes any blues and daily troubles away. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Any chance I could give this 11/10, or a few more oscars, just for being so oscary... such a splendidly heart warming experience

I do not like musicals. And after the first scene I thought I was in trouble. But the movie was pretty good. Great acting. Very talented cast. I feel like a lot of movies are just the same thing over and over. This one was definitely original and creative. I'd recommend it!

La La Land stands as a cinematic spectacle. From the opening scene you can understand that this movie is not messing around, this scene delivers amazing feelings and prepares you for an emotional roller-coaster throughout the film. It is a pure Hollywood love story that has been portrayed by two amazingly talented actors. The movie circles around two options. Either choose love or choose dreams. At the end of the film you will surely understand what the two protagonists choose and why they chose it, again shown in a beautiful way. It takes influence from movies like "Singing in the Rain" and demonstrates some iconic scenes in a new modern way that makes you feel nostalgic about the classic one. It is so perfectly crafted, but what makes this movie unique from any other romantic movies is its ending. That ending. Not only does it deliver some extremely emotional scenes but it changes the whole idea you had for the film. Also, in a musical the music needs to be stunning for it to be successful. For the first time in a movie, I have cried so loudly when hearing a song. This soundtrack gives you the feels. It is a masterpiece from song one until the very last song. The film is ultimately everything it had the potential to be - an unashamedly romantic musical, infused not only with great song and dance numbers but with intense emotion and charisma from Gosling/Stone, wonderful visuals and a unique pacing and tension from Chazelle. Oh, and it's hilarious throughout too. A genuine achievement - must be one of the best films I've seen in a long while. Cheers to the dreamers, the men and women behind the making of this musical classic masterpiece.

This movie is so overrated. It has great production value, but it kind of ends there. The movie is a musical, but half way through it decides to suddenly stop being a music and just turns into a boring drama with a dull plot. Although the movie started with decent momentum, it quickly just falls apart and gets really boring in the second half of the movie.

Musicals often don't have very strong plots, but makeup for it with music. La La Land did not do this. Instead they just have a few songs and a boring plot. Also, Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling were terrible choices for this movie. They both are mediocre singers (especially Gosling) and terrible dancers (the dancing scene seemed so forced and unnatural). There are literally thousands of amazing theater actors and singers out there, but for some reason they chose two people who have zero experience in show theater. Makes no sense.

Critics need to stop judging movies based on production value. This movie was mediocre at best and doesn't deserve any special recognition.

Do I like musicals? Not really... but damn, 'La La Land' is a nostalgic, colourful, joyful marvel!

Damien Chazelle gained international acclaim and recognition from his masterful drama 'Whiplash', what were the chances that he could pull off similar success two times in the row? Well, if 'La La Land' is anything to go by, then I'd say he did the job. With just three films under his belt as of 2016, Chazelle is slowly becoming the next big thing this movie industry has seen. His passion for classic movies and musicals is evident as he references and pulls influence from films like 'Singin' in the Rain', 'The Umbrellas of Cherborg' and even 'Rebel Without a Cause', the latter of which is one of my favourite films so seeing the nod to it was something I was pleased about.

The chemistry between Gosling and Stone is strong to say the least, after two previous collaborations, their already-strong bond helped them become one of modern-day cinema's finest couples. The music is bouncy and toe-tapping catchy, the cinematography is utterly stunning with gorgeous colours and impressive long takes, and the locations sum up the American dream and the passion the characters hold for Los Angeles. 'La La Land' is by far one of the finest cinema experiences I have had in the past 5-10 years, and although this isn't a film I would typically enjoy (genre-wise), Chazelle has instead crafted one of my favourite films of this decade. A film I would recommend everyone see in the cinema to truly witness the CinemaScope magic.

Writer/Director Damien Chazelle, who already had a nice career going for him, explodes into the Bigtime with this delightful, mesmerizing, and completely unexpected ode to Tinseltown.

The opening sequence (satirized on the Golden Globes) really does not do the rest of the film justice. It is as if the cast from the FAME remake grew up, had children of their own, and then those children hijacked the Santa Monica freeway to do a 10 minute flash-mob dance sequence.

From that point on, the film is hypnotic.

We segue to a love story as pure as anything since the great dramas of the 1940s. If the film had been in B&W, you would almost have expected to see Bette Davis in a 3-hankie tear jerker.

Except for the musical interludes, of course, which are pitch perfect and totally wonderful.

Gosling is surprising as a leading man expected to do song and dance, but he delivers the goods.

Stone, who was supposed to be "the next big thing" after Easy A (2010), steals the film and possibly the hearts of the audience as well. The awards should flow like water, and she will deserve every one.

As I said, deep in the DNA this is an ode to Hollywood. The film industry has always had issues with endings -- back in the day they would film several different endings per picture -- and then decide at the last minute which to use. Here Chazelle pays homage to that by giving us an alternate ending, along with the "real" ending, along with a closing sequence designed to remind everyone that nothing in Hollywood is actually real, but everything still can be really fun.

Destined to be a classic. Recommended.

((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))

La La Land is a great movie! It took me a long time to see it but when I finally did, I have now watched it 5 x and counting.

I am more of an action film buff --- Wonder Woman but not many of the other hero movies, but this movie climbs right to the top. A love story and a musical does not begin to convey the depth of this movie---you will see things you have never seen before. This is EPIC!

Most of the reviews I have seen are accurate (rated 9-10) so take your pick.

Watch this movie immediately! I think #6 for me is coming up soon.

Thanks for listening

Did someone say last year's Oscars were too white ? So let's award most of this year's Oscars to something that looks like an explosion in a paint factory where every primary colour is splashed across the screen . LA LA LAND was being touted as the film to beat even before most of the other contenders were announced and its domination at the Golden Globes confirmed everything . Looks like the 2017 Oscars will be the most predictable event of this year

Romantic musicals aren't my thing so my dread was realised in the opening scene with a California highway turning in to a song and dance scene so camp I thought I was watching a forest of pink tents which hints at what you're going to get - feelgood factor whether you want it or not . It was at this point I seriously considered giving up on the movie and going on youtube to listen to proper love songs by the likes of The The and Joy Division

As the film continued the narrative did expose itself to being what you expect , two young people , a man and a woman , who are embarking on fulfilling their careers in respectively jazz music and acting . There's not a lot here we haven't seen before but what sells this movie is the visual work director Damien Chazelle has put in to it . The language of cinema is very much to the fore especially the stunning cinematography and my abiding memory is the scene where the two protagonists meet and an impact aesthetic is instantly created by the way the lighting changes . Many scenes are similarity beautiful but if there's a fundamental problem remains that no matter how well made a film is if you've no interest in the genre then you won't become a convert . As it stands LA LA LAND will dominate the Oscars like the French film THE ARTIST did five years ago then become quickly forgotten

AHHHH the most fun. Ive never (and I mean never) had more fun watching a flick. Toe tapping, head shaking, thumb clicking realness baby. shake. shake. shake. Damien Chazelle. agh.

When my friend and I went to see this movie we were both excited as we both love musicals. However, even though we thought the movie was cute, we noticed right away that it was not even close to wonderful. The singing voices were so-so and the acting and dancing were okay but not Academy Award material. We both did think the ending was a unique idea giving us both a look at something new but not enough to gain the whole move as award winning material. We did think the opening number was quite spectacular and are still trying to agree on how they accomplished it. Not sure why people are going crazy over this movie as we both found it as only a cute fluff movie.

The main characters in this Los Angeles romantic musical are Mia (Emma Stone), a coffee-shop employee with dreams of being an actress; and Sebastian (Ryan Gosling), a jazz pianist who aspires to open his own club that plays jazz like it was played in the good old days.

At long last: a movie released during the 2016 awards season that actually lives up to the hype!

Early in the film, there are two superb group musical numbers. The numbers that follow are more low-key relating only to the main characters but they are still well performed and executed.

The stories of career struggle within the broader narrative are very believable. They include the hell of auditioning to people who are too busy plus the desire to maintain the purity of a great music genre (jazz) while too often being told it is "a dying art".

Gosling takes a while to break into the role particularly where the singing is concerned but it's not long before he fits into the part quite nicely. Stone is superb throughout the film. She is even spot-on as an actress giving mediocre auditions. She's given a full range - and not just as a triple threat - and she fully lives up to the expectations especially during the song "Audition" near the end.

There is something uniquely enjoyable about Hollywood portraying itself. The movie also gives nods to great classic musicals like "Singin' in the Rain", "Les Demoiselles de Rochefort", and "Les Parapluies de Cherbourg" all the while being unique and standing out on its own. In addition, the set designs and photography add further to the film's greatness.

The reference to "Les Parapluies de Cherbourg" comes through strongly in the movie's final number. This scene is probably the best scene of any movie in 2016. It leaves one with so many mixed emotions and extreme on either side. The production number is magnificent while its mood is melancholy.

The teaming of director/writer Damien Chazelle with musical composer Justin Hurwitz is one of the best matches since Jacques Demy and Michel Legrand in the 1960s. - dbamateurcritic

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENTS:

1) Directing by Damien Chazelle

2) Acting by Emma Stone

3) Music by Justin Hurwitz

I'm a big fan of musicals - on film and in the theater - so I had high hopes for La La Land. Combine its genre with the fact that it seemed like a love note to the great city of Los Angeles, always a rich backdrop for a film, and I was eager to see this movie.

I was sorely disappointed.

First, the casting of Gosling and Stone is all wrong. Neither can sing, or at least certainly not well enough to make the many musical numbers enjoyable. The dancing in the film is basic and didn't hold my attention, including in the much-lauded opening number.

So, if neither Gosling nor Stone fit the bill based on their musical abilities, maybe their on-screen chemistry would explain their roles in this picture? Not even close. I couldn't believe for a second that these characters really loved one another. There was no credible romance between them; I'd go so far as to call their relationship awkward.

Stone, for her part, delivers her lines very well and has much more range as an actor than Gosling, who, no matter how many movies I see him in, always seems to be playing a caricature of himself. But her talent isn't enough to save the film.

Then, there is the plot. There is very little of it. The movie, clocking in at just over 2 hours, feels like 3. So little attention was paid to story, and so much paid to fetishizing mid-Century Hollywood filmmaking, that I couldn't help by feel the film dragging and stumbling from one poorly written set piece to another, without succeeding at captivating my interest at any point.

For example: Gosling's character is set up as a down-and-out struggling musician without an ounce of opportunity or luck on his side. What, then, explains his seemingly effortless rise in the film as he scores a gig playing with musicians he used to swoon for as a spectator, or the way he suddenly hops into national stardom by partnering with John Legend's highly successful band? There is nothing that really explains his character's quick transition from bitter failure to jazz superstar.

There is a charming final song-and-dance number in La La Land, but it comes too late to save the movie.

Overall, La La Land is a half-baked pastiche of a movie with forgettable music, lackluster dancing, thin story, and insincere character development.

SKIP IT!

Lets set the parameters. An Oscar-winning film, or any above-average picture for that matter, needs to fulfil criteria that sets it apart from the 'average'. It requires a breath of innovation, story-line, integrity and impeccable acting that levitates the subject above the norm. It needs also to vault hype and financial remuneration. To create a musical, which, I believe 'La La Land' aspires in many parts to be, there has to be a synergy between book, score and choreography. Sadly, for this viewer, not one of these three elements can be considered by any stretch of the imagination,'exceptional'. It's triumph is evident in it's cinematography and lighting, which were largely outstanding. But the remainder? The story is typical Hollywood fare - predictable without significant twists or intellectual excertion. Essentially, nothing out of the ordinary happens and the blandness creeps to a predictable end. The acting is OK. You would expect as much from someone of Gosling's ability, but I hope that one day he'll be provided with a script that alienates him from the type-casting that befell Hugh Grant, with a diversity that De Nero was astute to select. Choreography? What choreography? That brief moment with the bench is all that taunts the memory. Singing - best not go there. Marni Nixon could have played both roles.

And I read today that it's up for 14 Academy nominations. Figures. Trump was successful so there's no reason this will not win.

Emperor's new clothes 'n all.

The last time, I felt like this, in a cinema, I was six years old and I was watching Star Wars. I never imagined, I would ever find that feeling again in a cinema. That sense of being transported to another world.

The opening sequence took my breath away and I never got it back. Not even at the end - which left my head spinning. It is a beautiful film with soul, wit, charm, style and love. It is simply outrageous! Bold and fantastic and fantastical.

I am a straight man but my love for Ryan Gosling could change all that. He's a melancholy genius and Emma Stone is our muse.

This film defies genre. It is a masterpiece. I urge you to see it. I was lucky enough to see it at the BFI London Film Festvial.

It has been five days since I saw La La Land and I am still thinking about it and singing the haunting refrain that plays with your soul. I mean it gets in there - that music - the music of the firmament. Flying still, dreaming still... thank you Damien.