Report Card---"La La Land"

What's good about "La La Land"---It's very imaginative, it's musically exquisite, it's extremely well acted and directed.
What's bad about "La La Land"---It's just not all that interesting.
This is the same man responsible for "Whiplash", a much better movie that never stops being interesting.

On to the scoring:   

Is it interesting?

Only stylistically.
C

Compelling even?

Naaah.
C-.

Is it controversial?

Not really.
C.

Is it a story worth telling?

It's been told many times.
C.

Is it good storytelling?

Very.
A.

Is it well written?

Okay.
B.

Is it well cast? Well played?

Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone are first rate.  And he found a part for J.K. Simmons.
Always a good idea.
A+.

Well shot?

Stunningly.  The style is what all the shouting is about.
A+.

Did the director put such a personal stamp on it so that no one else could have made it?

Absolutely.  He's probably the only one who could have sold it.
A+.

How long does it take to establish the film's locale and time period?

Immediately.
A.

Is it too long? Too short?

Just about right.
A.

Is it believable? Do you care about the characters?

Extremely and totally.
A+.

Is it predictable? Does it surprise you?

Never predictable, always surprising, except that you know that boy meets girl, boy loses girl, and boy gets girl.
B.

Do you think about it after you've seen it?

Yes.  About how visually sumptuous it is.
A+.

Is it funny?

Often
A.

Would it have been worth the thirteen bucks it would have cost to see it in the movies?

About five.
B-.

Is it impressive?

Undeniably.
A.

Overall grade: A-.

I certainly liked it far more than I disliked it.  But I don't think it deserves awards.
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My books, "Show Runner" and it's sequel, "Show Runner Two", can be found at the Amazon Kindle Store.
Along with the newer ones, "The Man Is Dead", and "Report Cards".
They are all compilations of blog entries that have since been removed from the blog.
So this is the only way you can find them.
You can search by typing in my name, Cindy Williams, Laverne and Shirley, The Odd Couple, or Happy Days.
Check them out.
You don't need a Kindle machine to download them.
Just get the free app from Kindle, and they can be downloaded to an IPhone, IPad, or Blackberry.
The paperbacks, "Mark Rothman's Essays" and my new novel, "I'm Not Garbo" are not e-books.
But they are available for people without Kindle.
I have many readings and signings lined up for those, and the thing about Kindle is you can't sign one.
If you'd like one of the paperbacks, personally autographed, contact me at macchus999@comcast.net
And now, we've got my reading of my "Laverne and Shirley Movie" screenplay on YouTube.

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