La La Land

Das einzige Musical seit Moulin Rouge, das nicht nur künstlerisch schön ist, sondern auch innerlich zart. Der poetischste romantische Film seit Tiger & Dragon. Und der "cuteste“ Film ever. Hier wird mit einem offenen Herzen dem Film, der Musik, der Liebe und der Stadt der Sterne, von der man nichts umsonst bekommt, die Ehre erwiesen. Damien Chazelle ist ein game changer, er versteht das Ganze komplex so wie niemand anderes. Und er macht, was er will, ohne die perfekte Erfüllung des Genres zu gefährden. Das größte Filmemacher-Talent dieses Jahrzehnts. (23.01.2017)

Am I supposed to feel touched by a stupid romance between two unlikeable, narcissistic elitarians? Am I supposed to suffer because of their first world problems? All because of a film with a plot disguised as a ridiculously banal allegory of the four seasons that is more see-through than Casper the ghost? Fuck no! There is plenty to praise (the random stage sets, a couple of cute moments, the last ten minutes or so – that would have worked better with more likeable characters), but if this is supposed to be an unrivalled favourite for this year’s Oscars, kiss my ass! No LA-LA here for me, massive disappointment. PS: I’m still thinking why this film didn’t work for me (because I really thought I would like it). The main reason I see is that the initial musical build-up of the relationship doesn’t manage (at least for me) to lay down a sufficiently strong foundation for the feelings in the ambitious non-musical ending. (04.01.2017)

I'm not denying that it has the intrinsic energy and impressive technical processing, but I'm not willing to deal with the fact that the musical interludes actually hurt it (the second half, which more or less gets by without them, is much better than the first). In addition, the lavish kitsch framing the story of the supposedly naive but in many ways self-centered narcissists is actually annoying. What I want from Chazelle is any genre film where the music will be a means, not an end. Given his age, he has unique skills. (05.01.2017)

To be honest, musicals have never been and never will be my cup of rooibos. On the other hand, though, Damien Chazelle is a lure that I wouldn’t like to miss out on. At least because of Whiplash, which was perfection. You see, despite its plain premise, La La Land has great dance numbers, a perfect couple in the form of Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, some very good songs and an almost perfect final scene, which any lover of films who believes that movies are made mainly to entertain shouldn’t miss out on. However, the entire film doesn’t have only these few strengths, it also proves that Damien Chazelle is not only a precise filmmaker, but also a great lover of jazz music with whom it can be expected that he will be forcing his love for jazz on us a couple more times in the future. And I for one will not mind at all. (22.01.2017)

A gem where Damien Chazelle beautifully led me as a viewer. It all looks and sounds beautiful, but I had a problem adjusting to the fact that La La Land is too retro and a tribute to old musicals. But the director saves the strong emotions, the brutally truthful moments, and a slightly harsher treatment of the protagonists for the last third. That truly broke me. And it is precisely the contrast between the beautiful dreamlike world full of color and love and the reality that can be very cruel to dreamers that places La La Land among the films that simply must be seen. (15.05.2017)

Ein charmantes Update eines klassischen Musicals, das in einem packenden Jazzrhythmus die sinnliche Geschichte zweier Seelen erzählt, deren Wege hätten eigentlich vereinen müssen, sich jedoch dennoch nur gekreuzt haben. Ich wurde hierdurch so traurig und ich fühlte eine seelische, Schwere, dass ich bei all der Technicolorfarbenfrohheit meinen Grips am Besten mit einer Grammphonnadel herausgepickt hätte. Sind sie auch Jazzliebhaber? (04.01.2017)

It´s way too much for a musical, or perhaps it´s the other way around. Hard to say. In the first third, it is also a regular musical, where one well-directed musical scene in one shot alternates with another. But then the singing fades away and what remains is (and visually pleasingly beautiful) tribute to the technicolor era of Hollywood and classical jazz. Although still in the form of a music / dance film, but not a musical in the true sense. Or, conversely, there are too many songs and the opening third should also have done without them like most of the rest of the footage. But it should definitely have been fifteen or twenty minutes shorter. However, what saves the movie is the "we always have our beloved Paris" bittersweet ending. During this one, I would be willing to ignore every drawback. (04.01.2017)

Here's to the ones who dream. About the fact that the factory of dreams can give everything or take everything. About dreams that sooner or later must collide with reality. And finally, about the fact that when someone says they will never stop loving you, it is possible that they really mean it. From the first published image of the dancing couple, I knew that Damien Chazelle was making this film for people like me. And with the epilogue, he proved that he left a considerable part of his heart in La La Land. (05.01.2017)

It's been a long time since this genre has been this good. I myself don't understand what the magic is and where that lightness comes from, which so many others are usually lacking. I can't even imagine how hard it must be to gauge the line between genius and kitsch in film music. You can really smell the talent. And Ryan, with Emma by his side, just lays it on like he was born for the part. 4.5 stars. (17.04.2017)

Cute, thought-provoking, sad and happy. I like the realistic approach that Chazelle grafted onto the musical structure and its completeness. The dramatic arc in La La Land works incredibly well and indicates an active decision to make very alternative, unusual choices. Gosling and Stone are perfect. (24.01.2017)

Der Film ist eher ein Möchtegern-Musical, für meinen Geschmack zu künstlich. Er hat mir auch nicht ans Herz gegriffen. Die Musik ist gut, die Regie der Tanznummern geschickt, die Ausstattung kitschig (so wie es sein soll) und Emma Stone bezaubernd… Wenn der Film nicht das (Gott sei Dank beeindruckende) Finale hätte, wäre ich die ganzen zwei Stunden nicht das Gefühl losgeworden, dass sich hier jemand nur effektvoll produziert und dass er sich mit diesem Werk seinen Traum erfüllt, etwas zu drehen, was wie ein Film aussieht, der heute nicht mehr gedreht wird, und dabei irgendwie die Zuschauer*innen vergisst. (17.01.2017)

Although the overall enthusiasm is greatly degraded by the fact that the music at times serves more Chazelle's platonic love for it than the dramatic development of the story (as an example, the gorgeously edited cinema scene is for me the most beautiful romantic ever, but then, at its climax, when I was almost kissing Emma, it’s replaced by a visually lovely but emotionally not so powerful musical sequence), yet La La Land is undoubtedly the most beautiful Hollywood musical since Moulin Rouge. At first, it lacks dramaturgical lightness and momentum, and the dance numbers don't overflow with much visual splendour, but Chazelle gradually and powerfully tightens Ryan's and Emma's shoelaces and stretches them through an amazing dream that everyone wants to (and should) try to live. Let's eat, let's live, let's dance and let's not regret anything. The last fifteen minutes: Baz Luhrmann feat. Wes Anderson… (26.02.2017)

(UCI Kinowelt, Potsdam, Deutschland, 1.2.2017) Ich konnte mir La La Land im Kino nicht entgehen lassen, nur weil dieser Film bei allen möglichen Filmfestivals und Filmpreisen einen Preis nach dem anderen abgeräumt hat. Ich muss zugeben, dass es aus technischer Sicht ein sehr gut gemachtes und ausgearbeitetes Werk ist - zum Beispiel war ich gleich zu Beginn von der Szene ohne Schnitt mit perfekter Choreografie oder den anderen Musik- und Tanzsequenzen überwältigt. Was die Schauspieler betrifft, so stimmte die Chemie zwischen ihnen, die sie bereits in Crazy Stupid Love ausprobiert hatten. Ich muss auch das unkonventionelle Hollywood-Ende loben. Kurzum, ein visuell fesselnder Film in allen Farben, dem ich keine volle Punktzahl gegeben habe, der aber dennoch die Aufmerksamkeit des Zuschauers verdient. Aber alles in Maßen! P. S. Ich würde mich ziemlich aufregen, wenn La La Land bei den Oscars mehr als elf Statuetten gewinnen würde. Das nur zum Abschluss! (16.02.2017)

Bester Film? Auf gar keinen Fall! Beste Kostüme, Ausstattung, Musik? Ja, auf jeden Fall ja. Die besten schauspielerischen Leistungen? Nein, ganz sicher nein! Obwohl ich Emma und Ryan sehr mag, sehe ich keinen großen Unterschied zu ihren Leistungen in Crazy Stupid Love. Sie hätten noch auf irgendwelche interessantere Rollen warten sollen, für die sie Oscars bekommen. Eine Null-Acht-Fünfzehn-Geschichte in Liedern und Tanznummern, wahrscheinlich ist etwas faul, wenn ich die meisten von ihnen übersprungen habe, andererseits müsste ich ein großer Zyniker und sehr gefühllos sein, wenn mich nicht wenigstens eine musikalische Nummer ergriffen hätte. Und am meisten würdige ist das schöne, unabgedroschene, interessante Ende. Hübsche drei Sterne. (26.02.2017)

La La Land is the film of 2016. Both Ryan and Emma Stone gave absolutely incredible performances here, perhaps some of the best acting I've seen in a long time. Their chemistry and professional collaboration with one another was absolutely perfect and they sparkled from the first second to the final full stop. The music was beautiful and despite my dislike of this kind of genre in general, I surrendered to it right from the start. No film released this year has evoked so many different positive emotions and thoughts. Damien Chazelle is a very fast rising star and I can't wait to see more of his works. (28.12.2016)

A beautiful film with great colors, and great ideas intertwining reality with what could be, especially in the final scene, which is simply stunning. There's excellent chemistry between Emma and Ryan, but then there's also the story, which is overall mundane and seems too simplistic considering how beautifully it's shot. (01.02.2017)

“They don’t make films like this anymore” – for once, I have to agree with the trailer, I really wasn’t expecting an experience like this. The opening scene put a smile on my face and it didn't let go until the closing credits, it even stuck with me until I got home. On top of that, I kept humming that beautiful piano melody, and I wanted to dance. For the first time in a long time, I encountered a joke that was neither forced nor cheap. This is what a musical should look like: impressive sets, masterful cinematography, music, and songs that are melodic, haunting, catchy, not like Les Misérables, where 95 percent of the songs lack melody and are forgettable. Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling just belong together on screen, just like Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas once did, so I hope we'll see them together again. The whole time I waited for the disappointment to come, for me to think “this could have been a great film, but they really messed it up”. But to my surprise, nothing like that happened. An experience as it should be, a perfect treat for the soul. (05.01.2017)

Technically distinguished, excellent acting performances and an awesome soundtrack! I generally like musicals, but La La Land is not just a great musical. It's a wonderfully romantic and likeable movie with a bitter touch of reality, which I rank among the top on my personal list of favorite musicals. Emma Stone is always great, but Ryan Gosling has become one of the biggest charmers in Hollywood in recent years. I'm now going to listen to the soundtrack again and then some. (19.01.2017)