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[riskybusinesstomcruise]

I don't think this is the worst time for jazz right now. Gossling mansplaining the importance of Jazz to Emma Stone wasn't really all that great either. I also don't really care for Chazelle's idea that jazz+sequencer = bad jazz.

Loved Whiplash, disliked La La Land. I'm looking forward to seeing him do something completely different than these music focused movies.

More like jazzsplaining....right guys?!?!?

Spoiler

I fucking loved this movie. Best of 2016 for me.

Edit: Oh yeah, John Legend talks about the intention of Start a Fire in this interview so you guys can stop arguing about it.

 

[shnurgleton]

Saw it last night - wow.

 

[Freyjadour]

wtf is that?

a word that hopefully dies out sometime soon from overuse

 

[beat]

I actually like Start A Fire except for how the song starts, which always makes me cringe.

 

[cj_iwakura]

While I found the Umbrellas of Cherbourg incredibly boring, I highly recommend that any fans of this film go see a far more similar(and colorful) experience, The Young Girls of Rochefort.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSNardGchis

It also follows a leit motif of the theme throughout.

 

[Sean C]

Based on one viewing and some YouTubing afterward, my tentative ranking of the musical numbers:

1. "Another Day of Sun"
2. "Audition (The Fools Who Dream)"
3. "Someone in the Crowd"
4. "City of Stars"
5. "Start a Fire"
6. "A Lovely Night"

I quite enjoyed the film overall. In some ways I think Hurwitz's instrumental contributions are more powerful than the songs, but the songs are pretty solid across the board, and well-tailored for the castmembers' abilities. I expect that after the success of Whiplash and actually getting a big screen original musical greenlit, Chazelle could easily have gotten some more high-profile composers to work with him on the soundtrack, but he stayed with the guy who was with him from the beginning, which I think is admirable.

 

[ViewtifulJC]

I found the Umbrellas of Cherbourg incredibly boring

leave this place

 

[Einchy]

Spoiler

When she kissed that new guy, the whole theater sighed and got super bummed.

Also, the ending montage of what could've been was super sad. >:

 

[Lemaitre]

Saw this today for the second time. I brought along my brother and grandmother. Grandmother cannot speak English too well or even understand the language, but she absolutely loved the film! She clapped when it finished.

Brother also enjoyed it. Just a very enjoyable film. It will be hard to beat come award season. Even if I think Moonlight/Manchester by the Sea are better films, La La Land just has a lot going for it.

 

[greatestjediever]

Based on one viewing and some YouTubing afterward, my tentative ranking of the musical numbers:

1. "Another Day of Sun"
2. "Audition (The Fools Who Dream)"
3. "Someone in the Crowd"
4. "City of Stars"
5. "Start a Fire"
6. "A Lovely Night"

I quite enjoyed the film overall. In some ways I think Hurwitz's instrumental contributions are more powerful than the songs, but the songs are pretty solid across the board, and well-tailored for the castmembers' abilities. I expect that after the success of Whiplash and actually getting a big screen original musical greenlit, Chazelle could easily have gotten some more high-profile composers to work with him on the soundtrack, but he stayed with the guy who was with him from the beginning, which I think is admirable.

Interestingly, Hurtwitz created the melodies using Chazelle's feedback, then when they'd get a melody down, they'd move on to extend it into a full piece. It wasn't until the music was already locked down that they hired the two lyricists to come in and build the lyrics based on how the story was unfolding and within the confines of the defined music.

It sounds like the process took many years though, so I wonder how Hurwitz will do with the Armstrong biopic, assuming the turnaround will be much quicker than the 6 years they had to work on La La Land.

 

[Lemaitre]

Go on...

He's right though.

It wasn't a good musical. It was an excellent, fantastic, and memorable one.

 

[TheFlow]

He's right though.

It wasn't a good musical. It was an excellent, fantastic, and memorable one.

the opposite of everything you just said can be used to describe the numbers in la la land.


edit:
actually the choreography and music was solid. just wasn't fully there due the bland lyrics and singing.

 

[robotrock]

the opposite of everything you just said can be used to describe the numbers in la la land.

Yeah this. I can't remember a single song outside of that little thing Gosling did with a piano sometimes

 

[TheFlow]

Yeah this. I can't remember a single song outside of that little thing Gosling did with a piano sometimes

I have said this a couple of times, but the piano piece will be the one people remember in a couple years


If someone put a gun to your head a week from now, and told you to sing a line from one the songs in La La Land you would be done.

 

[HeelPower]

the opposite of everything you just said can be used to describe the numbers in la la land.

I just went back & listened to Alan Menken's compositions for Disney movies the other day,and yeah I was reminded what truly great movie songs can be like.

Yeah,La La Land is good stuff ,but there are stuff a couple of tiers more powerful out there.

 

[TheFlow]

I just went back & listened to Alan Menken's compositions for Disney movies the other day,and yeah I was reminded what truly great movie songs can be like.

Yeah,La La Land is good stuff ,but there are stuff a couple of tiers more powerful out there.

yea the movie uses its great choreography and visuals to cover the weaker part of the musical numbers which is the singing/lyrics. Nothing wrong with it, but definitely noticeable when you fire up that soundtrack on spotify or compare to classic musicals.

 

[greatestjediever]

I have said this a couple of times, but the piano piece will be the one people remember in a couple years


If someone put a gun to your head a week from now, and told you to sing a line from one the songs in La La Land you would be done.

I guess to each their own. I've listened to the OST almost exclusively for over a week now (which almost never happens for me, I generally like to mix up my music) and have remembered a lot of it by heart. The only one I can't say I quite remember the lyrics for is Another Day of Sun, mainly because I didn't pay a whole lot of attention to the lyrics since it didn't actively involve the two characters. Funny enough, though, since the lyrics essentially foretell the rest of the movie.

 

[Opto]

I feel like this movie's attempt to subvert some tropes just sets it up into other tropes. Mulling it over, both characters are just insufferable. Honestly the film feels depressing and not because

Spoiler

they drifted apart. Ironically, all the other performers in the musical numbers feel like they're putting in more effort than either of the main characters, but then the songs make an effort to have Mia and Seb be the real genuine dreamers as apposed to the "fake" social climbers.

 

[kingocfs]

Just because you didn't like the songs doesn't make it a bad musical, though.

Also, I think the music is at its strongest in the context of the movie. The audition song is good, but the scene is really great.

There were were three really strong melodies in this movie, IMO.

 

[Saucycarpdog]

Just got back from it.

Disappointed that many of the musical numbers had no lyrics. I don't mind instrumentals but the beats didn't connect much with me. I preferred the singing.

I see now the reason Gosling got so few numbers. He tried his best, but his voice just isn't made for music.

I think the songs in order for me are

1. Audition
2. Start a Fire
3. Someone in a Crowd
4. Another day of Sun

Like I said, I prefer the singing.

Story wise,

Spoiler

I liked it. The chemistry between Gosling and Stone was great and had more humor then I was expecting. The ending was great to me, as they both end up accomplishing their dreams at the cost of not being together. Bittersweet but still satisfying as that's what they both set out to do. Great movie.

 

[TheFlow]

Just because you didn't like the songs doesn't make it a bad musical, though.

Also, I think the music is at its strongest in the context of the movie. The audition song is good, but the scene is really great.

There were were three really strong melodies in this movie, IMO.

It wasn't good. And you Just proved the other point I made. The scenes aka visual cues and melodies are what you remember. Not the lyrics and singing.

 

[Psychoward]

Gosling should have been nominated for nice guys instead. Either way I think he deserves the award over Reynolds. But still good on both of them.

Watched Nice Guys for the first time today and it's night and day how much better Gosling was in that.

 

[Fudgepuppy]

Saw it yesterday, had some tears at the end. My friend was devastated though, she had tears in her eyes for like half an hour.

I really liked the fact that the movie became more and more like a grounded and contemporary drama once they started giving up on their dreams for each other. It really sold the ending that despite all they wont have, they had the music and the dreams, that they followed.

We talked about the movie for a long time in the restaurant afterwards, all of us giving different interpretations and analysis. That's a sign of a smartly made movie, without it being obtuse.

Also, this is probably the only musical I've gotten into, because the it having fantastical numbers works with the context of it being about escapism and following dreams in a fantasy-like LA. In most other musical whenever they start singing, I feel that it strays away from the context of what the scene and story is trying to say.

 

[LucidMomentum]

Of course not. She might leave as one though.

Well, it didn't convert her to being a Jazz fan or anything, but she enjoyed it.

We both liked it, the choreography was great and the music was good, and the shift from it being more musical to more of a drama as time went on was neat too.

Then that last scene just killed it. I loved it, she hated it. It was bittersweet but it was really well done.

Glad I saw it in theaters.

 

[GhostWriter24]

It wasn't good. And you Just proved the other point I made. The scenes aka visual cues and melodies are what you remember. Not the lyrics and singing.

I remember the lyrics and songs along with the visual splendor of the film. Was I watching it wrong?

 

[Discotheque]

Don't think I'll remember much of the lyrics in a few years if any at all. But the melodies are here to stay with me. The recurring ones in someone in the crowd and another day of sun which are interspersed through the rest of the soundtrack are so good

Hurwitz did great. >>>> whiplash

That John Legend track is garbage tho God damn. Gotta be the worst thing he ever put out

 

[greatgeek]

That John Legend track is garbage tho God damn. Gotta be the worst thing he ever put out

I think it was intended to be awful. If not, it works perfectly in context.

 

[Trigonometrize.]

I have said this a couple of times, but the piano piece will be the one people remember in a couple years


If someone put a gun to your head a week from now, and told you to sing a line from one the songs in La La Land you would be done.

The piano piece, maybe. Personally, for as long as I live, I will never be able to fully purge this melody from my brain after watching the movie and listening to the soundtrack obsessively for the couple days after.

 

[Chumley]

The piano solo, here's to the dreamers, and another day of sun are legit stuck in my head so fuck the haters.

 

[TheFlow]

I remember the lyrics and songs along with the visual splendor of the film. Was I watching it wrong?

Well duh it is fresh in your mind. Read what I wrote

Don't think I'll remember much of the lyrics in a few years if any at all. But the melodies are here to stay with me. The recurring ones in someone in the crowd and another day of sun which are interspersed through the rest of the soundtrack are so good

Hurwitz did great. >>>> whiplash

That John Legend track is garbage tho God damn. Gotta be the worst thing he ever put out

well duh.

If la la land didn't have better original music than whiphlash it would have been embarrassing. giving La La land is a musical/romance and the other about playing existing music well.

 

[Haloid1177]

Okay so two days later I'm listening to the soundtrack and like it clicked. Like the movie came together in my head the music was hitting the emotional beats that I didn't get when watching and now I wanna see it again cause I think I actually really really like it lol.

What a weird turn of events I've never had this happen with a movie before.

 

[ViewtifulJC]

tbh I prefer "the music/singing wasn't up to my standards" criticism(even though it makes it VERY appearent you've never seen the Jacques Demy movie which is the main inspiriation) then the insufferable "white man saves jazz" criticism that have taken over twitter

 

[Rainy]

tbh I prefer "the music/singing wasn't up to my standards" criticism(even though it makes it VERY appearent you've never seen the Jacques Demy movie which is the main inspiriation) then the insufferable "white man saves jazz" criticism that have taken over twitter

I've seen that a lot as of late.

 

[Puck Beaverton]

tbh I prefer "the music/singing wasn't up to my standards" criticism(even though it makes it VERY appearent you've never seen the Jacques Demy movie which is the main inspiriation) then the insufferable "white man saves jazz" criticism that have taken over twitter

the backlash from film twitter is baffling.

it's going to be insufferable when it wins BP over Moonlight

 

[TheFlow]

the backlash from film twitter is baffling.

it's going to be insufferable when it wins BP over Moonlight

Nah if la la land wins then the backlash will make sense

 

[Puck Beaverton]

I mean, La La Land winning BP will not make it the better film.

It's so tailored to the Academy's taste that it's guaranteed to win, even though I would prefer Moonlight or Manchester.

 

[UberTag]

the backlash from film twitter is baffling.

it's going to be insufferable when it wins BP over Moonlight

Moonlight isn't even its main competition for Best Picture even if critics generally like it more.
That honor still goes to Manchester by the Sea which is likely winning the Golden Globe for Best Drama tomorrow night.

 

[Puck Beaverton]

Wait you don't even think it'll get a nom?

Like, I think it's a distant third behind Manchester and La La Land.

 

[TheFlow]

This going to be an exciting award show for drama and comedy main and sub catergories. At least for me

 

[Desperado]

tbh I prefer "the music/singing wasn't up to my standards" criticism(even though it makes it VERY appearent you've never seen the Jacques Demy movie which is the main inspiriation) then the insufferable "white man saves jazz" criticism that have taken over twitter

What is your disagreement with that criticism?

 

[ViewtifulJC]

What is your disagreement with that criticism?

Because all he did was open a fuckin' jazz club. He didn't SAVE jazz. Black musicians like John Legend's character explicitly didnt need him and told him was a nostalgic elitist. BUT Ryan Gosling is white, so he cant play jazz because cultural appropriation something something. Like Bix Beiderbecke and the Boswells never existed.

 

[Bruce Springsteen]

I mean, La La Land winning BP will not make it the better film.

It's so tailored to the Academy's taste that it's guaranteed to win, even though I would prefer Moonlight or Manchester.

No way moonlight doesn't win best picture and director

 

[Haloid1177]

No way moonlight doesn't win best picture and director

I love Moonlight but I don't think Jenkins deserves director over Chazelle. The musical sequences were so technically impressive. Give Moonlight Best Picture though.

 

[cj_iwakura]

At very least I'd like to see The Witch get an acting or cinematography nod.


Green Room could use a screenwriting one. Possibly for The Witch as well. (Though Green Room was better.)

 

[Wanderer5]

What a wonderful movie that was just bursting with style.

The opening is so damn good, with probably my favorite song of the bunch.

 

[backflip10019]

I enjoyed it so much. I got quite emotional at the end, even though I knew it was heading toward heartbreak. Definitely my favorite of the year.

 

[Fantastical]

God damn this was a good movie. Absolutely beautiful too.

 

[DopeToast]

Saw it today and fucking loved it.

I was expecting more song and dance numbers I guess, similar to the opening. Still lots of great music, though.

Were there just the three big songs? Opening, the song before they went to the party, and the one after the party?

Still awesome either way.

 

[shira]

Were there just the three big songs? Opening, the song before they went to the party, and the one after the party?

Yeah

Based on one viewing and some YouTubing afterward, my tentative ranking of the musical numbers:

1. "Another Day of Sun"
2. "Audition (The Fools Who Dream)"
3. "Someone in the Crowd"
4. "City of Stars"
5. "Start a Fire"
6. "A Lovely Night"

I quite enjoyed the film overall. In some ways I think Hurwitz's instrumental contributions are more powerful than the songs, but the songs are pretty solid across the board, and well-tailored for the castmembers' abilities. I expect that after the success of Whiplash and actually getting a big screen original musical greenlit, Chazelle could easily have gotten some more high-profile composers to work with him on the soundtrack, but he stayed with the guy who was with him from the beginning, which I think is admirable.

I think my favorite now is Mia hates Jazz

 

[robotrock]

Because all he did was open a fuckin' jazz club. He didn't SAVE jazz. Black musicians like John Legend's character explicitly didnt need him and told him was a nostalgic elitist. BUT Ryan Gosling is white, so he cant play jazz because cultural appropriation something something. Like Bix Beiderbecke and the Boswells never existed.

Isn't the jazz club part of Gosling's motive to help jazz stay relevant?

I think the criticism comes from the scene where Gosling explains to Emma Stone's character why jazz is great and the idea that it is dying, as well as Gosling showing disgust for John Legend's sequencer. It's not people mistaking the opening of one jazz club as saving the entirety of jazz.