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La La Land (2016)
La La Land: What a Hollywood FIlm Should Be
Music and movies seem to go hand in hand, and lately, that's been obvious. The last few years have opened the door to many great music related films: Amy, Miles Ahead, Straight Outta Compton, Love & Mercy, etc. But you know what hasn't been popular? Musicals. What was once the most popular genre in cinema rarely enters the public consciousness today. The last major musical release (excluding Disney cartoons) was Les Miserables, and that still polarizes audiences to this day. And then this film came out. La La Land feels like it was tailor made for me. A classic Hollywood musical with traditional sets, big choreographed numbers, bright colors, and throw in some love of Davis-era jazz? It feels like a dream. Thankfully, the film didn't let me down. I enjoyed every minute of it. I loved the homages to classic Golden Age films like Rebel Without A Cause and Singin' In The Rain, and Stone and Gosling were a delight to watch. My one issue would have to be that I feel like they didn't use certain scenes to their full potential. The Observatory space dance and Gosling's number on the pier could've gone on a bit longer. The space dance could've been grand and beautiful, but it instead felt very short and made me wanting more. Still, it's hard not to praise a film like this. It was beautiful, fun, and an all around great experience.
Punch-Drunk Love (2002)
Adam Sandler Actually Blew Me Away
I'm stating this now: I've only seen one other Paul Thomas Anderson movie as of now, and that film was "Magnolia," which I loved for all of its characters, its story, and the filmmaking process itself. It's just difficult to sit and watch a film for over three hours.
One benefit "Punch-Drunk Love" has right away over its former is that it is only half of the running time. Does that make for a stronger picture? Honestly, I like them both about the same.
One big surprise to me was Adam Sandler. Before this, I knew him as the man Chris Farley made break character on SNL and the guy who makes all these awful Happy Madison movies that are being released today. But "Punch-Drunk Love" showed me how much potential he has as an actor.
One scene really sticks out to me: There is a part where Sandler's character calls a sex hot line, and the shot just keeps going and going and going for I swear feels like an hour. It was incredible, and I know Paul Thomas Anderson is known for his long shots, but for a newcomer to his filmography, I thought that was incredible.
All the characters feel real and interesting, even in this unrealistic scenario. One thing I felt was a little too unclimatic was when Sandler confronts the Philip Seymour Hoffman character for the first time, the man who screwed him over this entire movie. But all Sandler does is threaten, and then leave. I would've liked something a little stronger, even if I can see what they were going for, and it probably worked out better in the long run.
Overall, "Punch-Drunk Love" is a great movie with a surprising Adam Sandler performance and beautiful, impressive cinematography. It isn't for everyone, but the people who will get into it will REALLY get into it. Highly recommended.
Les parapluies de Cherbourg (1964)
Charming (At First)
When this movie began, I was madly in love with it. I loved the colors and the cinematography and the opening titles and everything about the first sequence. And then we meet the characters, and we are charmed by their voices and how adorable the movie is, and the entire film keeps you invested. I was really into it until the last 20 minutes when the charm sort of wore itself off after a while. And that is NOT saying that the ending is bad, it isn't; it's just that this film might be a little longer than it needs to be. But the beautiful colors and glamor of the actors make this movie enjoyable, and the music is very nice to listen to. It sort of is like a modern day (well, 1960s) opera. No words are spoken; they are just sung. And it works, and the characters are interesting and the scenario is interesting. It's just that as it god near the end, I was looking at my watch a little more and more. It is worth checking out, and it is adorable, and it is a piece of film history. It's a wonderful experience that I think I could enjoy once, but not again after that.
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)
Lovely, Iconic, and Cute
It doesn't get much more iconic than Marilyn Monroe, who is quite possibly the most recognizable celebrity in history. And "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" is one of her most iconic movies. While definitely a product of the time, the movie is still as entertaining and as adorable as ever. Marilyn stars alongside the equally beautiful Jane Russell in this musical, Technicolor journey from America to Paris on a cruise in the Atlantic Ocean.
One of the biggest strengths in this film are the musical numbers, one of which may be Marilyn's most iconic performance in a film, "Diamonds Are a Girls Best Friend." But my personal favorite has to be the first one, in which the ladies sing about being girls from Little Rock. It comes before the credits, and is a great opener to grab your attention.
The film isn't perfect, though. The plot is incredibly predictable. You can tell what's going to happen at the end about 10 minutes into the movie. But I don't think this movie is really going for a good story; it's just a fun musical with gorgeous sets and actresses and humor, while dated, can still make you laugh.
It's a must for fans of these 1950's Hollywood musicals, and it's probably the best one I've seen yet. While not as bold as something like "Mary Poppins" or "The Wizard of Oz," "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" is still an enjoyable motion pictures with iconic actresses and wonderful music numbers.