La La Land [DVD] [2017]

**Review: La La Land (2016)***La La Land* is a romance horror film that seduces you with the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, only to slowly reveal the terrifying undercurrent of ambition and sacrifice. The film follows Mia (Emma Stone) and Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) as they chase their dreams in Los Angeles, but their love story quickly becomes a haunting tale of obsession and the high price of success.Beneath its vibrant musical numbers and nostalgic nods to old Hollywood, the film explores the psychological torment of two people trapped by their own aspirations. The dazzling colors and dreamlike sequences take on an eerie quality, making the viewer feel as if they’re watching a nightmare unfold in broad daylight.The romance at the heart of the film is both beautiful and unsettling, as Mia and Sebastian’s connection becomes tainted by their relentless pursuit of their goals. Their final "what could have been" sequence serves as the ultimate horror—showing how close they came to a different, happier life, only to be torn apart by their own choices.*La La Land* is a chilling commentary on the dark side of the American Dream, where love is sacrificed at the altar of ambition, leaving the audience haunted by what might have been.

Rock Hudson ended up being enshrined as an icon of the death bed confession at the Schwulles Museum in Berlin in a bizarre trope of ‘singular masculinity’ which leaves him not only as the man known for rumours that he had an affair with James Dean whilst filming ‘Giant;’ but that he was the most well known actor of the Golden Age of Hollywood to have to turn down parts because he was frightened of being exposed.Ryan Gosling is the one actor who could have made this film. And he did: absolutely make it. And it’s the fact that he didn’t win the Oscar for Best Actor™️ which ‘renders’ the film’s theme of almost dreamy eyed melancholy. He should have won it and it’s a disgrace that he didn’t.He is not the ‘Schwulles-Warden’ - had this film been released in 1957; Rock Hudson could not have given this film the blissful honesty which Gosling gave to it.In an often comedic turn with so many tangents it is the straight down the line honesty which he brings to the film. He makes sense of the nonsensical for you. And he makes the character laugh inside.After watching the film I woke out of a dream a few weeks later where I imagined that Ryan Gosling was actually gay and had his past deleted under Google’s ‘right to be forgotten’ and for me to find him married to Eva Mendes with two children. And it was a sad dream because it was true; probably without the conspiracy to delete his past. It still doesn’t matter who Gosling is. He’s brilliant. He’s an enigma. He can play a charlatan who you can only come to love. And he should become one of the greats.Perhaps, if I think for one moment; and this film hadn’t been canned in 1957-1958; perhaps Paramount Pictures (in those days) would have cast someone like James Garner. But I can’t imagine it.Gosling plays the straight man to Emma Stone’s ‘kind of ditzy on the verge of breakdown’ character beautifully. The man’s brain activated like a politician or any group of individuals who compartmentalise their friends; and where their cranium becomes a rumpus room to laugh at others. Gosling makes the character loveable despite all of that.It is true that Ryan Gosling is married to Eva Mendes and he does have two children. And my weird nightmare after watching this film that he was owned by Google who had deleted his previous gay life was obviously a nonsensical and bizarre dream of the proportions which raided the cellars of Morpheus several nights running. But it was a perfect dream to compliment La-La Land. It gave it that Dorothy awakes feeling at the end of the Wizard of Oz. Even though as a gay man myself I can’t for the life of me understand why the Wizard of Oz is a film of gay iconography. Surely, Judy Garland’s Dorothy is the young girl from Kansas who in fact many girls would dream to meet.The beauty of La-La Land is that it leaves each viewer’s dream open to them. And I hope that it isn’t the last great musical.

Clever and knowing variation on the STAR IS BORN theme. The story is nothing new, but the songs and presentation are exceptional. It's fashionable to call all this old fashioned, but there's much truth about life here. It can be seen on several levels. It also takes time to build up, and must be seen all the way through. Almost certainly going to be a ‘classic film’ as people look back. It does start to drag slightly as the love affair frays under life pressures. Not helped by that old standby caption – ‘five years later’. Creative use of colours which have a 1990s throwback. Some moments of incredulity, such as the opening number, which has not much relationship to the plot. A good example of a musical that isn’t quite so naïve, and is enjoyable without being slowed down by songs. Hard to define what the film is really about, but it has a shared sense of the joy of the moment, and of ambition. Thankfully, it never shifts into pathos. For that reason, it has the power to be a memorable film.

i'm not one for going with the hype of a movie, but i had a slow afternoon so thought i would give it a try. Well, it was really good!Afterwards i found out that the opening scene was all shot in one go, so ive been back to watch that a couple of times.It's nice to have such a classy type of movie, that isn't what you think it'll beWell worth the awards it won

Good storyline , effortless acting with great chemistry between these two fine actors. Well worth a watch!

Hyped beyond all proportion of course...I'm so glad I waited until this film was free to watch. I would have been deeply disappointed had I paid. It's ok... not the worst film I've ever seen but I know my husband (had I got him to watch it with me) would have said "well that was two hours of my life I'll never get back!"Non-remarkable songs and a sketchy plot. I also think putting it in the genre "comedy" is stretching the meaning of the word to its absolute limit. Left me with the exact same feeling as "Moulin Rouge" did.

The story line was credible, performances great.A strange mixture, full of colour yet at times with characters simply highlighted, incorporating touches of old and new.A musical where music was a central theme but not intrusive and Mia's song as part of her crucial audition had me in tears!!