Song & Dance: Review of La La Land

TIFF EXCLUSIVE

La La Land

Director: Damien Chazelle

By Alex Watson

Winner of the Viewers Choice at the 2016 Toronto Film Festival, La La Land is a delightful and spellbinding musical romance. Boosted by Oscar-worthy turns by charming stars Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, Damien Chazzelle's follow up to Whiplash is one that is immensely cute and sweet. At the centre is a heart-grabbing story of love and following your dreams and the things that sometimes get in the way. Currently, this picture is a deserved front runner for awards glory. 

Set over four seasons, both Mia (Emma Stone) and Seb (Ryan Gosling) are a pair who are both chasing their dreams. Drawn together by their passion and commitment to achieving glory, the pair starts a relationship that seems written in the stars. As time goes by, they find little things beginning to form a wedge between them. To fully realize their goals, they have to consider what role each of them plays in this relationship? 

Start with a glorious and peppy musical sequence about dreams set on the LA highway, La La Land's charm factor is made apparent early on. It will take a while for audiences to really get to grips with the feel of the picture because it feels like an homage to musicals, things are very different from what they seem. Meeting Mia and Seb has the cute factor dialed up to 11, she sits distracted reading a script in a traffic jam while he honks at her from behind. Speeding past her, she flips him the bird and sees him as a merely another jerk she has to deal with. Fate seems to bring them together throughout as Seb's beautiful piano playing draws Mia into a random bar, she then finds him struggling to make ends meet by playing keyboard in an 80's cover band, where he takes offense her requesting A Flock of Seagulls song, 'I Ran' as he is a 'serious musician' 

Their difference in life are excellently defined by Chazzelle, Mia is a girl seeking big screen glory and having to go through a humiliating series of auditions. Each one seems to be more disheartening as casting assistants interrupt her in the middle of lines and some merely dismiss her as soon as she walks in. Seb is faring little better and is a man who by his own admission is playing rope-a-dope with his future. Fired from his job at a restaurant due to the manager (J.K Simmons) being angered at him playing freestyle jazz rather bland Christmas jingles on his piano. Out of the two Seb is the harder to warm to due to his perfectionist tendencies and his steadfast love to the purity of jazz. He's a disillusioned and at times unpleasant soul trying to understand the reason he was put on this earth. The middle section from Spring to Summer is where hearts will soar the most as the pair embarks on a whirlwind romance. One dance number set in Los Angeles's iconic Griffith Observatory is so hypnotic it will having you dancing you home. 

Finally their dreams are set to take flight as Seb begins to realize his dreams of owning a jazz seem possible and Mia opens her one-woman play. As much as it pains us, obvious gaps in this relationship begin to form as Seb takes a paying gig in a successful band run by his old friend Keith (John Legend). Their frustrations come to fruition during a well-staged scene where Seb surprises her with a surprise pot roast dinner, only for it to descend into an angry and bitter argument where all their fears, doubts, and regrets are laid bare. Committing to their dreams is the very thing that could potentially rip them apart. Chazelle never once assures us things will end happily and as Seb seems content in selling himself out, Mia's one woman show is very a Hail Mary pass that could either sink or swim her. Touching and emotional throughout, this pair is one that ultimately wants to do good, but the realization of what dreams involve is heartbreaking. 

Gosling and Stone's magnetic chemistry is what really makes this picture tick and their third outing together is their strongest yet. Stone, in particular, is wonderful and her big expressive eyes speak volumes about the characters emotions. Possessing a wonderful singing voice, Stone is not the first name that comes to mind when you think of musical pictures, but nonetheless, she carries off Mia well and is very much the sweet center of this picture. Gosling is also a revelation as Seb and his sarcastic wit shines brightly throughout. What perhaps the strongest element of his game is how Gosling handles Seb's inability to fully express his emotions and when faced with having confront his real emotions he simply gives off an insulting remark. Together the pair light up the screen and are perhaps the best double act we will have the pleasure of viewing this award season. 

La La Land is a picture that is in all honestly a really beautiful thing. Some may find this type of work too cutesy and annoying while for some it will make their spirits fly like an eagle. One thing is for sure, Damien Chazelle has made something special. 

Hawaiian Tropic: Review of Aloha

Aloha

Director: Cameron Crowe

By Alex Watson

Despite a starry cast, Cameron Crowe's Aloha is a very misguided affair. There is a bright and upbeat tone from the beginning, but this proves to be a burden on the film as we have no real idea exactly what type of film Crowe is trying to make? His usual quirks are very much present, but lack the needed punch to get this film kick started into life. Yes the central trio of characters are very attractive and charming, but they fail to add any real any real depth to characterization.

Brian Gilchrist (Bradley Cooper) is a former Air Force turned civilian contractor who nearly lost his life in Afghanistan. To prove himself, he is given a second shot by billionaire, Carson Welch (Bill Murrary) in his old ground of Hawaii. While home, he reconnects with his old flame, Tracey (Rachel McAdams who has since married and started a family. But soon he begins to fall for rising officer, Captain Allison Ng (Emma Stone). Life altering decisions lie ahead.

The principle issue with Aloha is these lost soul stories are beginning to feel all too familiar from Cameron Crowe. Unlike his earlier work, Crowe is unable to find the right spark to ignite the film. The overly nice feel that surrounds events goes into overload early on and fails to cut the thrusters! Everyone on this island is so forgiving of everything that it lacks any sense of pain, regrets or conflict. Tracey and Brian have history and while there are close ups galore which reveal the hurt lurking below, it never truly grabs at us like it should. Before long, we feel like leaving the party and just leaving them to it.

Centrally, due a confusing style of dialogue and some lack of explanation, the story gets lost in a haze. We know that Brian was once a rising star but due to some unfortunate events, his life lies in ruins. There are red herrings given to what might have caused this, but the closure needed is one that continually disappoints. This is not the only story related problem the movie is saddled with, for instance why doesn't Tracy husband Woody (John Krasinski) ever talk? And precisely why does Carson want to launch his new suspicious looking satellite? The answer are all present, but due to Crowe's slightly muddled presentation they are lost on the Hawaiian breeze!

Though there is an air of redemption hanging around, it feels far too cliched! The main romance between Brian and Allison is one that is cute and sweet, although suffering with some awful dialogue. But we never really get a sense of just why Brian is worthy of redemption? His cynical outlook  to the world is a real mystery. Even though he innocently flutters his pretty eyes throughout, is it not enough to make him an engaging central character. Had this been made a decade ago, this would have been a perfect Crowe flick, but today it just feels substandard.

Bradley Cooper sadly in this film is not given a character worthy of his talents. Proving to be one of the most absorbing presences in Hollywood, Brian is very much a blank page and he is given little to work with to fill it. Also for this type of role, he doesn't feel downtrodden enough to convince. Perhaps someone with more grit could have shaped this differently? Emma Stone is the real treat of Crowe's film sporting enough peppy charm as the fast talking Allison to make her stand out. Always able to seem effortlessly engrossing, Stone is very much a talent on the rise. The usually consistent Rachel McAdams however, is stranded in a one note role as Tracey.

Aloha may not be the worse film that you see all year, but it is a far cry from the Cameron Crowe of old! Constantly feeling more saccharine than a lollypop, the movie doesn't seem to know where this is a comedy, a drama or maybe both? Though if you're in the mood for a wallow then this may suit you just fine!

Flying Without Wings: Review of Birdman

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu

By Alex Watson  

If someone had told you that acclaimed Mexican director, Alejandro González Iñárritu's return to the big screen would be a black comedy starring Michael Keaton (aka Batman) then most people would probably ask you how many pints you had consumed! But it appears that this has come to fruition and the Babel and Amores Perros director returns with his dark satirical film, Birdman. Keaton hasn't had a role this meaty in years, can Iñárritu bring out the best in him? 

Riggan Thompson (Michael Keaton) is a washed up movie star who was once the beloved star of the Birdman movie franchise. In an attempt to be taken seriously, Thompson is adapting a Broadway stage production of Raymond Carver's story 'What We Talk About When We Talk About Love' which has been beset by problems, including egomaniac method actor Mike Shiner (Edward Norton) and his drug addict assistant daughter Sam (Emma Stone). But in the midst of the mayhem, can Riggan keep his head and give an 'honest' performance? 

Birdman is a bizarre but ultimately brilliant piece of original work from Iñárritu. Armed with a fascinating pitch black tone and beautifully shot by Emmanuel Lubezki, the Mexican maverick has created something truly special and the talented cast succeeds in carrying the weight of expectation. Riggan is a man who after passing on Birdman 4 over 20 years ago, has become permanently trapped inside his winged character (the character speaks to him in his mind off stage) and he is straining regain any sense of credibility which on stage is difficult to come by, as Lindsay Duncan's acid tongued reviewer tells him "You're a celebrity, not an actor!" and then informs him she will destroy his play for invading her turf before she has even seen it.

The camera work by Lubezki also contributes a great seamless feel to this movie and as we glide in and out of various rooms, it feels as if we are glimpsing the actors in their most personal moments which gives an almost intrusive feel to proceedings. The script however by Iñárritu , Nicolas Giacobone, playwright Alexander Dinelaris and Armando Bo, is one to savor. Together they bring us a story complete with shocking yet natural humour along with a building psychological feel of a man who has bitten off more than he can chew.

All around Riggan's production there are problems to be seen, firstly star Lesley (Naomi Watts) has encouraged him to bring on board her arrogant boyfriend Mike, who although a big box office draw is immediately dismissive of Riggan's talent and seems to cause mayhem over the littlest details, including drinking real gin rather than water on stage which results in disastrous preview performances! Along with being continually belittled by Sam for being more of a 'has-been' because he rejects bloggers and twitter, the man's mind is beginning to crack and his feathered friends words are speaking louder than ever.

Iñárritu also makes the audience think about a number of important factors such as the importance of careful stage planning, the ego of actors and finally what it means to be creative in this world. Riggan is literally investing his whole life in this make or break piece of art and we secretly we fear the effect of an ill received performance. But unlike this earlier work, there is a brilliant sense of rawness and reality to Birdman, which accurately demonstrates the misgivings life in theatre can bring. One sequence we see our hero lock himself out the theatre mid performance and having to make an impromptu sprint through a crowded Time Square in just his underwear! 

Michael Keaton is given the role of a life time to play and he pulls things off magnificently! Playing an man with everything to prove to the acting world, Keaton exceeds all expectations and firmly captures Riggan's ambition along with his continually beaten down persona. Under the influence of his old Birdman friend, Riggan is a man who seems able to put all things aside and make the show go on as planned. A career best for Keaton and it has to be said, a very smart piece of casting by Iñárritu because few men on the planet would understand this role better than Keaton himself!

Edward Norton also makes for a memorable on screen jerk as Mike, his ego soars higher than Birdman himself could probably fly. Throughout the production he berates and insults the man who gave him the role and continually rants on about stage is the only honest acting art. Norton does well to poke fun at his apparently troublesome antics when making movies and firmly marks the supporting honours as his own. Also look for a surprising straight performance from comedian Zach Galifianakis as Riggan's weary lawyer who forever has his work cut out for him.

Alejandro González Iñárritu has delivered one of 2014's most memorable and engaging piece of cinema and Birdman is a stunning change of direction for this man. If you needed proof of Michael Keaton's talent, then look no further than this film. This has one of my highest recommendations and this kind of cinema deserves to be seen by all!