MovieChat Forums > La La Land (2016) Discussion > Can anybody explain to me what is so gre...

Can anybody explain to me what is so great about this movie?

posted 8 years ago by marianoamezaga
121 replies | jump to latest

Or what is supposed to be so great? It was an average movie at best, I liked the colors they used throughout the film, the music and choreography was good, the acting was good as well. But WHY is it so GREAT? Giving the rating it has, the movie should become a "timeless classic" but I wouldn´t understand the reason for it, sorry. The story was nothing groundbreaking and the dialogue neither. Those two are some of the most important factors to consider for a movie to be labelled as "great". And at no point of the film I was impressed by a plot twist or maybe a hidden message that could give the viewer a life lesson. It all seemed so flat for me. So I really need an explanation.

[–] josh-the-winter 8 years ago

It's absolutely euphoric.

[–] BelleStar82 8 years ago

You are right that the plot is a tale as old as Hollywood time and the dialogue nothing groundbreaking.

What makes the movie special is the visual and emotional aspects to it.

It's hard to really compare it with other musicals because it is an homage. It's obviously not going to beat Singin in the Rain, but for those who like those type of classics, it is a nostalgic experience and cool to see a modern movie acknowledging & appreciating Hollywood history. It's more than just the singing and dancing... the ending captures the melodramatic romance that a lot of old movies had.

[–] himan-76716 8 years ago

I've read a few of the original versions of the script and those were very cliche love-stories with Seb quitting the band to be with Mia, arguments about Seb's sister's love life, more "I love you" statements, etc. The final product was much less cliche than I anticipated.

The truly cliche thing to do would be to have them quit their jobs to be together. However, they restrained from doing that.

[–] kristofvde 8 years ago

Noticed the 5 minute opening shot where about 50 people do an insane choreography? Or basically any other great piece of cinematography in this movie? This film manages where most other films fail: it gets me. Judging by the atmosphere in the cinema, it gets to a lot of people.

No point in discussing colors or taste, but I think it's also the 14 oscar nominations and the 5-star reviews that hightens people's expectations.

[–] skareviewsdotcom 8 years ago

The cinematography, The choreography, The performances, The writing, The music and, not to mention, the direction. It was made because Damien Chazelle wanted to tell a story and not because they wanted to start a franchise or merchandise it. It won't have sequels or reboots (at least I hope it won't). It didn't have any unnecessary exposition or pointless filler. It was a nice, sweet, visual movie, full of heart. It was just so refreshing to see such a movie after a long time. That's all. It just hit me in the right spots. I'm sorry you didn't feel the same way..

[–] pegasusgiraffe 8 years ago

I so agree! This was, at best, a zesty romp with some entertaining moments. I didn't hate it, thought it filled the time OK. It is NOT a great movie! Characters are thin and petty, the relationship is unrealistic and unengaging, the performances are ponderous. The song & dance numbers are mostly bland, and just cheap re-heats of REAL classic movie musicals.
It's very disappointing to see this fluffy movie getting so much critical praise and awards attention in a year with many important, stirring, and inspirational films.

[–] jpc-34200 8 years ago

I think the musical numbers and the behind the scenes stuff work. La la land deserves best picture of 2016. Stone and gosling have great chemistry on screen together. I believe the hype on this one is very positive.

[–] Petrungaro 8 years ago

There's nothing great about this movie.

Millenials think it's good because they've never seen the real thing. Dull story, zero character development, poor dancing and singing and totally overrated.

[–] AlienByChoice 8 years ago

I don't know, but if you find out - please tell me.
The only reason I didn't walk out of this waste of time was that I had the wife with me. This "homage" is simply boring and actually insulting to the original Hollywood classics. If I want to see great musicals or a great dance sequence or a love story - I'll watch the originals, thank you, rather than watch Ryan Gosling trying to pretend he's Richard Beymer and Fred Astaire combined.
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