La La Land: Overhyped, Slog Of a Musical
When La La Land was announced at sundance and was considered one of the biggest hits at the festival, I knew that I would hear more about it, as the year went on. Soon enough I was hearing it constantly, as the title was being hammered into my brain as a no brainer for a best picture nominee. And with a rookie director, Damien Chazelle (who previously directed the fun but flawed Whiplash) I had a serious interest to see what the hype was all about. But in the end, after the credits rolled, I knew I was gonna be in the minority for disliking it.
In short, the story first starts off with Mia (Emma Stone) who is a struggling actress in hollywood, while simultaneously working at a busy coffee shop. Who than by fate runs into Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) who is a struggling pianist trying to find his way in the world. Than from there it's your classic love story with a few mediocre songs thrown in for good measure.
Now before anyone says I don't like musicals I do like them. If anything I adored Dreamgirls and the powerful acting and story that they weaved. I even enjoyed Chicago with Richard Gere but when I walk out of the theater thinking about none of the songs, we have a problem. Now it's not that I disliked any of them, but it didn't resonate with me as the powerful Sing Street did, which came out earlier this year (which I highly recommend).
Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone I enjoyed, and even the oddly cast but charming John Legend appears. But even these characters don't get much to do as the script lacks any character depth, especially in Emma Stone's character. And the running plot line of traditionalist is a fascinating plot line, that is quickly put to death as another mediocre song and dance routine comes onto screen.
I didn't hate this movie, nor did I think it was anything special. I thought the costuming was great and the acting was good, especially towards the end (too little too late). Even the conversations about jazz that Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling discuss gave me a glimmer of hope, as it gave me a taste of the Before trilogy. But when a so called musical gives me no character depth or a plot that lacks a unique concept, I can't give it a thumbs up.
2 Stars Out Of 4
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