La La Land left me totally in la la land wondering what the heck I'd just paid $10 to see? I ran to the theater to see it after it took all those awards at the Golden Globes and sorry Hollywood and what seems to be the whole wide world, but I don't get it. For starters, this film needed to decide if it was going to be a motion picture or a musical and then it needed to be cast accordingly. It drags on and on and on, long beyond where it needed to go to make it's point. And the ending? The worst. It made me sorry that I did not walk out of that movie during the first hour when I had the urge to do so. I do not require a happy ending, but I do want an ending that makes sense.
I "get" that this is suppose to be a modern day Singing InThe Rain, but it fell way short in my opinion. Seriously, is it just me? Obviously, I did not like it. At all. It was boring and cliche and that ending!
The thing I disliked most about La La Land was how the female lead charecter was developed, portrayed, and then betrayed in the end by the writers. I don't want to give too much up in case you plan to see this flop, but the ending put her in such a bad light. Because she does a 360. She goes from sweet and and likeable to looking like a fame whore. There was a big disconnect for me.
Now Lion on the other hand, don't miss it! It's both tragic and heartwarming. I saw this movie with my 17 year old son last week and he agreed, it was one of the best movies he'd seen in a long time. Nicole Kidman is nominated for her role in this film, and although she does not have as much camera time as one would think to be deserved of a nomination, she was excellent. Dev Patel deserves to win Best Actor. He is the heart and soul of this story.
The Founder was really good, too. I expected to not like this film because the subject material was not of interest to me, but I loved it! Besdies being entertaining, it taught me a great business lesson, too, about not getting too comfortable or digging my heels in when I should be open to new ideas. The acting blew me away. Michael Keaton is such an under-rated star. He nailed it in this role.
Both Lion and The Founder are based on true stories, my favorite kind of story.
Oh, and then Meryl Streep in Florence Foster Jenkins! I can not imagine a scenerio in which she would not win Best Actress. That movie was so touching, so beautiful. I loved every minute of it. Meryl is the queen of eveything.
I am hoping to sneak in Hidden Figures and Manchester By The Sea before Sunday.
Who are you hoping will take home an Oscar this Sunday?