93% on Rotten Tomatoes
Chloe's thoughts: A must-see; Watch it in cinemas; I'm buying the DVD
Watch it if you: Want a touching and emotional romance that so happens to be a musical;
Want to get some of the best songs ever stuck in your head for the next year;
Are a fan of either Emma Stone, Ryan Gosling, or both
A jazz pianist dreaming to open a jazz club, falls in love with an aspiring actress against the backdrop of the beautiful land of LA.
First of all, I love both Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling.
For anyone who hasn't yet, you will be doing a great disservice if you do not check out Emma Stone's great lip sync battle on The Tonight Show.
As for Ryan Gosling, I completely forgot how sexy this guy was. When was the last time he was in a romance? I can't remember, but it's been too damn long. This guy exudes charisma, just look at him.
Also, while this movie is a musical, there are apparently people who hate musicals and still loved this film. I guess because the film is more a romance drama focusing on the leading couple.
But the music is great in this, I was super impressed with the directing, acting, performance, and general set pieces.
The opening scene took my breath away; it's a musical done in a traffic jam on a highway, and it's done all in one take. I thought, "WOW! What an opening!" Little did I realise that the entire movie was just chockfull of crazy long takes that are seamless. SEAMLESS, I tell you!
While Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling are not the best singers, I thought it was still really endearing and more realistic to watch. And anyway, cast for acting first, singing second. These two certainly were able to portray their emotions through their performances even if their performances themselves weren't perfect. If they had gotten broadway actors, it just would not have been the same. After all, as I said, the story isn't JUST a musical.
There is even one scene where nothing is happening except Emma Stone singing for three minutes. There is not a single camera cut; it's just a close up of Emma Stone's face the entire time. And you know what? I cried! That's how powerful the song, and her performance, was.
Then there's the fact that Ryan Gosling practiced the piano for 2-4 hours every day for 6 days a week so that the long takes could show him playing the piano! That is dedication, and I was really impressed during that take, and even wondered whether another person's hands were edited in. I was so glad to find out that was actually Gosling's hands in there!
I seriously hope these two win their respective Oscar categories (because we know for sure they will be nominated).
There is a bit of a lull in musical numbers in the middle, and that's to reflect the progression of the storyline, and thats when you start to really love the story itself, and not just the music. The story is really emotional, I was blubbering by the end of the film. But apart from that, it's also a great piece of artwork. All the scenes looked beautiful; the cinematography here was amazing.
It's also very nostalgic of old school musicals. It even felt to me like I was watching a stage musical, but on screen. Particularly because of the one-shot takes and the style of the dances and songs. It also felt like the time setting kept changing because it was a great vintage love story, but in a modern setting.
Overall, I really loved this film. It's in my top two at the moment, and I'm not sure which position it's in (the other movie is Arrival, and it's just hard to compare movies of completely different genres).
It's a musical, but I don't think you need to like musicals to appreciate it. Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling are great in their third appearance together; the movie looks, sounds, and feels amazing. It's a very thoughtful movie, with a lot of heart in it, and I would highly recommend it.
(Also, John Legend's in it!)
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