La La Land isn’t anything phenomenal, nor is it revolutionary in approach (though I believe this is by choice); what the film is, however, is pleasant: very, very pleasant. In an era where films—namely ones intended for adults—aim to be dark, gritty and/or somber, its
La La Land’s upbeat, bubbly nature that makes it stand out among the crowd. The film is a romantic comedy-drama (light on the drama), paying homage to films of the 40s and 50s (with a little 20s and 30s to boot).
La La Land’s key to success is its main actors Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone. The actors have terrific back-and-forth chemistry: delivering the laughs, the awws, and even some effective melancholy.
What’s not as effective, however, are the film’s musical numbers: decent, yet not very memorable/toe-tapping tunes (they’re certainly no
Moana soundtrack), save for the catchy R&B number
Save a Fire (sung by John Legend). The pacing can also get a bit sluggish at times, with the finale dragging on longer than necessary.
La La Land isn’t my favorite film of the year, nor will it make my top 10,
nor does it deserve to win Best Picture. Nonetheless,
La La Land is an entirely pleasant, cheerful homage to classic cinema, made effective by its lead performers and their on point chemistry.
Lion:
Lion is a visually gorgeous film—its story, on the other hand, is noticeably underwhelming. There’s nothing unpleasant or frustrating about
Lion, it just doesn’t leave much of an impact. The plot is spread too thin to meet the two hour runtime, and by the end feels like the shell of a fascinating tale where nothing really fascinating happens—instead telling an assortment of intriguing short stories, loosely tied together into an overall forgettable journey.
Lion would have benefited a lot more had its runtime been shortened, perhaps to the point of being a half-hour special or even a short story.
