Mitsi F.’s review published on Letterboxd:
"Is this the start of something wonderful and new......or one more dream that I cannot make true."
Oh boy what an emotional ride this thing is. As I said yesterday, this is the most joy I've felt watching a film since I first watched Moonrise Kingdom four and a half years ago. It's also the most heart wrenching thing I've seen in quite awhile. My heart rate doubled at least 5 times through this journey, and I just felt so alive watching it. I think it was only 2 songs into the movie before I said to myself "I'm going to be watching this for the rest of my life, aren't I?" And while from that moment there were some dips in quality that hold it back from perfection in my eyes, it's still a DAMN good movie, with great music, fantastic performances, breathtaking choreography, and I think the direction was great too, but if I'm being honest, I was so swept up in it all I didn't even pay attention to the camera work. I think half way through one song I realized that there hadn't been a cut in awhile and then I figured out that they did that whole number in one shot (I think?) and I was just amazed.
Alright, best parts of this movie.
1) Emma Stone made me cry multiple times with her big eyes and her beautiful voice and just her facial expressions in her performance are fantastic. Please give her an Oscar. I forgive her for that awful speech in Birdman now, and she is absolved of all sins.
2) Choreography! The movements and how well timed they are with the music are awe-inspiring to me. I've never really payed attention to choreography in a film before, but here it feels like I'm discovering a whole new step in filmmaking I hadn't thought about before. It's amazing stuff, very reminiscent of the old musicals this clearly is homaging, without being too in your face. It's very clearly it's own beast, and feels unlike anything I've ever seen before.
3) Music! I don't really listen to much jazz, but this is some GOOD ASS jazz! You know what else is good? Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone's singing voices! Ryan especially makes my heart melt. Am I in love with both of these people now?
Yes.
Man I haven't been able to say that about a movie since I watched Scott Pilgrim. And actually, I'd have to put this with Scott Pilgrim in a category of movies that have flaws keeping them from 5 stars, but that I love to death (though not enough to look past the flaw, unlike Hunchback of Notre Dame, which has flaws but feels so special to me that I can't give it any less than a perfect score. If that makes no sense, I'm sorry, my mind is weird I guess :\ ) So what's La La Land's big flaw? There's a part with John Legend in the middle that feels......out of place. It just doesn't mesh well with the rest of the film, and his song DEFINITELY doesn't work with the rest of the soundtrack (which I've been listening to all day). And that's the point, yes, but it still feels like it could have been handled better to make the film feel more like a complete whole, rather than one with a minor bump in the middle. But then again, maybe it'll get better in rewatches! And I can't wait to rewatch this, over and over again.
And how the emotions change from the first two songs, which are big group happy anthems to.......the epilogue, which is probably the second biggest gut punch of the year (Nothing can top the pain of election night). And those last few shots? Well, I haven't been that effected by the finale of anything since I heard those last few notes in the song "Married Life" from Up, except it's the strongest mix of happiness and sadness that come together to make you feel......alive! La La Land made me feel like I was living again! And it's a feeling I never want to go away! I never want to think of how insignificant I am, I want to think of what I can do, what I can be! The world's a piece of shit, but that doesn't mean you can't follow your dreams! But then again, you might lose something you care about on the way...
GAHHHHHHH. I can't put into words what a mix of emotions I'm feeling right now, and it's been two days since I actually saw the damn movie! Do I feel happy because of the end? Do I feel sad? I guess it's bittersweet, but usually there one emotion takes hold while the other one isn't as prominent. Here? Here both emotions are as powerful as they can be, fighting for the top spot and I just don't know what to do.
It's 1:30 in the morning right now guys, and if I think about this anymore without sleeping first, my brain might explode. I'll definitely be writing many more reviews about this in the future, but this is all I have for now I guess. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Go see it. I'm sure I'm not the first person who's told you to do that, but still, you have no excuse not to see this movie. It is stunning, magical (TAKE THAT "FANTASTIC BEASTS", YOU COULDN'T EVEN MUSTER HALF THE MAGIC OF RYAN GOSLINGS ASS ALONE) and beautiful.
Iloveitsomuch
