La La Land

[QueenAlice]

Congrats to LA LA Land. Tomorrow the backlash begins.

[Call_me_jorge]

Doesn't seem like Lin will get his Egot this year.

[bear88]

Queen Alice: Tomorrow the backlash begins.

There's been some backlash on this thread. We're starting early.

But if there's one thing I know, it won't matter. La La Land is an unstoppable machine. It's a love letter to Hollywood and the movies and creative artists. I might see Moonlight later the month and think it's the better film (haven't seen it yet), but Academy voters work in the film industry. Dissenters can grumble, but it will not matter.

Films that I've liked a lot less have won the Oscar because they're love letters to Hollywood. The Artist? Does anyone even remember that movie now? (I'm still annoyed that Boyhood didn't win over Birdman, but I'll get over it eventually.) I think La La Land will have more staying power, but maybe that's because I just saw it and was pleasantly surprised. 

 

[QueenAlice]

I agree that LA LA LAND is likely unstoppable when it comes to winning Best Picture, especially on a weighted ballot, I can't see how it would lose given the competition this year, but in the same breath, I think its never a good idea to go into the Oscars being a steamrolling front runner. People rather like voting for underdogs. I would be surprised if LA LA LAND is able to win all the awards it won tonight at the Oscars. 

[bear88]

My offhand reaction is that it wins every category it won tonight, except for Best Actor (Casey Affleck was in drama, while Gosling was in musical/comedy) and Best Screenplay (because the screenplay isn't that great). I assume it wins Best Picture, Best Director, Score, Song (unless the two La La Land songs are nominated and split the vote), Best Actress. 

And then it will win some Oscar technical stuff and cinematography, most likely. La La Land will win a lot of awards.

[aaaaaa15]

I found the huge roar of approval and standing ovation for Moonlight's win (neither of which La La Land got) very interesting. Still predicting La La Land to win but that passion combined with the backlash that is starting very early for a movie here could have an effect.

Also it really didn't deserve that screenplay award. At all.

[Mr. Nowack]

I adored the movie but even I admit that the screenplay award was a bit of an eye roller. I had not seen the other nominees but I'm sure one of them had a better screenplay as La La Land's script was far from what makes it compelling. 

I definitely think the sweep last night was only made possible by the Golden Globes' separation of drama and musical/comedy. Surely it won't stand as strongly against the dramas at the Oscars (though technical and music awards it is a shoo in for and maybe director again).

[PepperedShepherd]

aaaaaa15 said: "I found the huge roar of approval and standing ovation for Moonlight's win (neither of which La La Land got) very interesting. "

Or it could be because it was Moonlight's only win of the night and it was beginning to look like it would leave empty-handed, whereas La La Land had already taken 6 awards.  Just sayin'.

 

 

 

[aaaaaa15]

Your comment doesn't make sense. 'Or it could be because...' I didn't give a reason why it happened. I just said it happened and it's interesting. Kind of echoes the reaction many people were having online. Oh another win for La La Land. And then finally they award Moonlight. I do think the Globes awarding La La Land so much (especially in that screenplay category) is gonna do it more harm than good when it comes to how much people will want to vote for it at the Oscars. It will still clearly do well either way though.

[Auggie27]

The screenplay will not win the Oscar. The voting members of the WGA are unlikely to choose it over either of the far more obvious writing choices ("Moonlight" or "Manchester".  But certainly it will pick up cinematography and other tech awards to compensate. I still believe -- fan that I am of Afleck's heartbreaking work -- that Denzel could pull an upset for Best Actor. Keep your eyes on SAG awards.  But even there, Viola Davis beat Streep, only to have Streep take the Oscar.  This year, nothing is in stone, Emma or otherwise.   

[Sally Durant Plummer]

Regardless of my personal opinions, Portman's loss in best actress seems to leave the Oscar wide open for Stone.

[aaaaaa15]

Although Portman did win Critics Choice over Stone. I personally think that category is still wide open. I could even see an Isabelle Huppert win.

[Ado Annie D'Ysquith]

It would seem that for musical composers, things shift in a "Year of..." pattern. 2016 was the "year of" Lin-Manuel Miranda, and now 2017 could shape up to be the "year of" Pasek and Paul, with their involvement in LA LA LAND and Evan Hansen doing so well...

[aaaaaa15]

In terms of awards recognition absolutely, but I can't see a world in which they become the media darlings and nation's sweetheart like Lin managed to do.

Oddly enough my favorite Pasek and Paul project is still Dogfight. Although I'm gonna give La La Land a chance to do more for me when I see it for the second time this week, as I last saw it all the way back in October. Definitely isn't Hansen though.

[hork]

Auggie27 said: "The screenplay will not win the Oscar. The voting members of the WGA are unlikely to choose it over either of the far more obvious writing choices ("Moonlight" or "Manchester".  But certainly it will pick up cinematography and other tech awards to compensate. I still believe -- fan that I am of Afleck's heartbreaking work -- that Denzel could pull an upset for Best Actor. Keep your eyes on SAG awards.  But even there, Viola Davis beat Streep, only to have Streep take the Oscar.  This year, nothing is in stone, Emma or otherwise.   

 

Moonlight and Manchester will be in different categories (adapted and original, respectively), so they'll probably both win. But you're right, I don't really see La La Land beating Manchester in this category, though stranger things have happened (and Best Original Screenplay does often go to strange choices).

 

[QueenAlice]

If LA LA LAND steamrolls it could take everything, including screenplay. I think the only major Globe win that is highly unlikely to repeat is Best Actor.

[PepperedShepherd]

BAFTA Awards: La La Land leads with 11 Nominations

Arrival and Nocturnal Animals follow with 9 each; Manchester By the Sea with 6.

[Wilmingtom]

In times of socio-political and economic turmoil, escapist entertainment prevails.  The Depression-era movie musicals, and those made during WWI and in the post-war euphoria, provided a welcome salve to our angst.  So it is with La La Land and Best Picture.  Screenplay should go to Lonergan while Jenkins and McCraney should walk with adapted for Moonlight.  But I think the national mood right now is more engaged with dancing on air.

[Ado Annie D'Ysquith]

I don't think La La Land is TOTAL escapism. A good portion, yes, but it still hit really close to home for me in my real life. Maybe it's all just in the timing.

[disneybroadwayfan22]

Well, I saw it yesterday and: Meh. It wasn't great, but not horrible either. The direction and choreography are amazing, especially the beginning and end. Emma and Ryan do a good job here, but they aren't award-winning. The opening song was okay, "Someone in the Crowd" was pointless, and the rest of the songs were lovely. Another problem is that in the first two songs, it seemed like the sound mixers made the volume low because it felt quiet. Also, the singers sounded exactly the same throughout the songs. The movie just felt empty and that something was missing. The script felt like it was a rough draft. Overall, overhyped and overrated. 

[Liza's Headband]

thankfully, your opinion is the minority

[disneybroadwayfan22]

^Is that good or bad to you?

[ArtMan]

I just thought it was okay.  I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either.  For me, it was mildly entertaining.  What worked for me the most was the charm of the two leads, especially Emma.  I liked a couple of songs, but found the majority to be bland.

[Ado Annie D'Ysquith]

I will say this much, disneybroadwayfan22- if that "Someone in the Crowd" is a pointless song in a musical factors, you're covering your bases for a whole lot of shows with pointless numbers!

I'm teasing, of course.

I'm admiring the music more and more as I continue to listen to it. Sure, there are some weak lyrics, but I just love that piano riff! Someday, I hope to write a catchy score like this...only better! Lol

[gypsy101]

disneybroadwayfan22 said: "Emma and Ryan do a good job here, but they aren't award-winning. The opening song was okay, "Someone in the Crowd" was pointless, and the rest of the songs were lovely."

they actually are award-winning in that they've both won awards for this film including golden globes just last week. someone in the crowd is also not pointless in that it's actually foreshadowing as one of the key moments later in the film is because 

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

that lady at her one woman show saw her and loved her and plucked her from obscurity to become a big famous movie star.

also if you think that opening is just "okay"... i'd like to know what you think of as a good opening.

[petewk87]

Has anyone seen it in IMAX? Wonder if it's worth checking it out in that format...