Saturday, January 7, 2017

"LA LA Land' (2016)

I scanned the footage for every frame of this movie and I STILL couldn't tell you how they pieced together the opening. It's a lovely opening to a year in the life of two artsy hipsters. Well, one an actress and the other a jazz musician.

I'm certain many people have no interest in jazz. I happen to dig it. Live anyway. They address it. Jazz isn't popular. Neither are musicals. But it is infectious. And so are coordinated shots. As a camera person, you can't help but love the care it takes for these types of shots. They move and move. The camera doesn't stop. And the colors are primary pretty. What about the leads? Well, these two live in Hollyweird that they've somehow captured as a feeling of your first year in this town. Most of us even at 16 years never feel home home here.

As for the performances, the separation runs deep. A crumbling relationship in the shadow of buoyant fun is as tragic as it gets. I mean, it is heartbreaking. Of course, we imagine the what-could've-been. None of it is realistic...in this town.

Most in this town don't find the love of their lives in the same profession. Even the young and ridiculously talented director Damien Chazelle has gone through a divorce.

Go see this in the theater. It is in Cinemascope. A wider format than the standard 2:40. Everyone looks like a movie star and I miss it.

Great job for Emma Stone. And charming as always Ryan Gosling. Will Academy voters reward such youth and beauty. Of course. They love themselves. Warts and all.

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