penscribbles’s review published on Letterboxd:
This review may contain spoilers.
watchlist challenge category #13: watch a film from the 2010's
i probably won't be able to add anything that people haven't said already, but i'll sure try lol
this film is just awesome. surprisingly, even though it changes tones quite frequently, it never feels forced and it executes the whimsical and fun moments just as effectively as the more somber or heartbreaking moments. i just love how everything in this film is done, from the stellar opening that screams musical theater while also taking advantage of its medium, to the romantic tension in the scenes with sebastian and mia, to the really somber and sad scenes in the later half. it's just all so well-done.
i'm not sure if this was the intention (i'm guessing it was), but the first half of this film feels framed, written, and scored as if it's a stage musical. it captures all the effective choreography, feels delightful and whimsical, and just feels like something you should be seeing onstage. it really got me to fall in love with this film immediately
however, the scenes in the second half are more serious, and the tone of the movie matches that perfectly. it doesn't feel like a stageplay anymore. the fancy flair and big bombasticness is replaced with a tone that feels more akin to what would be done in the medium of film. and even with this tonal shift in mind, it still kept me enthralled. i was still so sucked in and so invested and it just did everything flawlessly
and throughout the ending, the film kind of switches back and forth between these two styles depending on the tone of the scene. depending on whether it feels more written, choreographed, and acted to be more like a musical or more like a film, the tone matches right along with it. this might just be some crackpot theory and idk if my explanation is making any sense but i just think it's a super neat touch.
all in all, i just love everything about this. it's absolutely flawless and STILL NOT MY FAVORITE DAMIEN CHAZELLE MOVIE. HOW HAVE I NOT SEEN MORE FROM THIS GUY
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