Student Film Reviews

Film reviews from theaters, couches, and film festivals

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1. C. Zangi Angeli 02.20.17 / 5pm

   Great review and now I want to see it AGAIN
   for the third time! See you at the movies!
   C. Zangi 02.20.17
2. Finso Gyaltsen 02.20.17 / 11pm

   As a serious cinephile I was in heaven for this one as it paid a beautiful homage to some great classic films of the past with both references, dialogue, plot and visuals. I will need to see it again to catch more of them, but I’m sure they’re there. Good to see Gosling get another part worthy of his ability to deliver the goods in every way possible. I want to see lions gate make a sequel and milk the shit out of this, i don’t even care if Chazelle directs it, just as long as Justin Hurwitz still does the score.
3. Veronica Arvidsson 02.21.17 / 11am

   It’s a great film! The opening scene like you said is breathtaking. It’s renewing and at the same time flirts with classical musicals. I’d say even people who son’t like musicals could enjoy this one.
4. Nodoka Kobayashi 02.21.17 / 11pm

   You pay careful attention on the composition of scenes. I thought the very first scene was a long one shot, and I knew there were actually 4 cuts by reading your review.
5. Nelson 02.22.17 / 2am

   I’m usually no sucker for musicals, but having spent time in these pursuits and in these locations, I couldn’t help but love it despite my reservations. And that purple dress!
6. Kimberli Wong 11.09.17 / 11am

   What I like about your review is it describes the film very vividly, but allows viewers to come to their own conclusion about the movie. I personally disliked the film, but your review is so clear and captures every element of the movie in a really organized and expressive way.
7. Nicole Buckley 07.21.18 / 11pm

   Despite its sorrowful ending, the color and the music do bring a kind of vibrance that makes La La Land so easy to enjoy. Each scene looks like a piece of art and captivates the viewer within a 40s/50s Hollywood glamor while remaining within a more present timeframe. While it is an homage to Los Angeles, the misc-en-scene indicate a space outside of the Los Angeles we know. It takes all the well known aspects from the city- its artistic and cultural history, the feeling, the consequences of fame, and of course, the traffic, to create a sense of nostalgia mixed with a bit of Hollywood magic, which I think is what makes it so great.
8. Jillian Zimmerman 03.14.23 / 2pm

   I love that you mentioned how bright and vivid this movie is. The colors and the costumes really amplify the movie and the different moods throughout the film. Colors play a huge part of this film by reflecting the mood of the characters. You also mentioned that the cinematographer conveys the chaotic city as a more romantic and delicate city. I think this is important to note this because the movie is all about romance and love yet it is filmed in a now run down and lawless city. The way the cinematographer portrayed Los Angelos reminded me of old Hollywood movies such as Singin’ in The Rain.
9. Lily Grant 04.13.24 / 3pm

   This review reminded me just how beautiful this film is, and how special my first time watching it was. Through re-watching it I have also noticed many iconic references to classic movies, like Singin’ in the Rain. What makes the film so great is the modern day twist on classical stereotypical musical themes, such as the American Dream, and fairytale boy-meets-girl romance. These themes are brought to life in the film through the harsh unexpected nature of reality, rather than giving the audience the somewhat expected happy ending. The cityscape is filled with vivid colors and almost exaggerated beauty, as if it’s supposed to feel like a movie set. And to top it all of, the music is top-tier, I definitely reccommend giving the soundtrack a listen.

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