Manny Gonzalez’s review published on Letterboxd:
"How are you going to be a revolutionary, when you're such a traditionalist?"
Pure movie magic. Simple as that.
Are people really bitching about this being about a white person saving jazz? Is that a legitimate reasoning for dislike of this film? Goddamn people are stupid! I won't even get into those fuckers who loved it upon release only to bash it come Oscar season. Enough griping though.
There is so much I love about this film, that I couldn't possibly put it all in a review. I've literally seen this film about 30 times. It's my second favorite film of the decade, and easily the most enjoyable. I hate musicals too. I know that's becoming such a cliche thing to say, but it's true. Fuck Chicago! Fuck Les Mes! Fuck Mama Mia! I've had people tell me that they couldn't finish this because the singing is bad... That's missing the whole point of what Chazelle was trying to do... make these characters feel more real, one scene in particular, Gosling biffs the words to City of Stars and him and Emma start to chuckle. It's that kind of freedom you don't see enough of in films these days, and it's such a pleasure to watch. These two aren't Broadway stars, they are supposed to be normal, everyday people, why would their singing be flawless? Emma does kill it in the Audition song though! Her and Gosling have such incredible chemistry, too. I honestly couldn't imagine Emma Watson and Miles Teller in this film, having the same impact on me. Maybe I'm biased because I love EmmaStone... and Ryan Gosling is my favorite actor at the moment, but I just don't see them being as great. Damien Chazelle is an amazing director too, you can feel his heart in every shot, every frame, every uttered syllable. This is A passion project in every sense of the word. He's a true visionary! Some of the shots here are some of the most inventive I have seen in such a long time. The cinematography is mesmerizing! The scene when the camera is spinning in the pool! The beautiful Hollywood sky in that epic long shot. The fucking ending! The songs that will be in your head for months! La La Land is a masterpiece that people should appreciate instead of hate on for petty reasons, and come to the realization that... they just don't make them like this anymore.
Added To: Top 10 of 2016
Added To: Ryan Gosling Ranked
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