Title: Sing (2016) Release date: Dec 21, 2016 (USA) IMDB Rating: 7.3/10 Writer: Garth Jennings Director: Christophe Lourdelet, Garth Jennings Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Seth MacFarlane, Scarlett Johansson Genre: Animation, Comedy, Drama, Family, Musical Production Companies: Universal Pictures, Illumination Entertainment Runtime: 108 mins
Review:
It’s hard not to compare Sing to another 2016 animated flick about animals learning life lessons in a multispecies metropolis, and the creatures of Sing never seem as introspective or innovative as their Disney cousins in Zootopia. But although the let’s-put-on-a-show story line feels familiar, there’s real heart to the critters’ desperate pursuit of their dreams. The eye-popping performances are meticulously animated, and a crowd-pleasing soundtrack helps keep this show on the road. Sing may be a melody we’ve heard before, but it still sounds sweet.
Title: La La Land (2016) Release date: Dec 25, 2016 (USA) IMDB Rating: 8.6/10 Writer: Damien Chazelle Director: Damien Chazelle Stars: Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Amiée Conn, Terry Walters Genre: Comedy, Drama, Musical, Romance Production Companies: Marc Platt Productions, Gilbert Films, Black Label Media, Impostor Pictures Runtime: 128 mins
Review:
It would be inaccurate to say there’s never been a film like La La Land — there have been movies like it many times before — but it’s been a while. Movie musicals these days are mostly lifeless exercises in prestige and Broadway adaptation, The original movie musical — with songs writing explicitly for the screen — is about as rare a species as the South China tiger.
So when Seb (Ryan Gosling), a struggling musician living in Los Angeles, says in La La Land that he loves jazz because “it’s conflict and compromise. It’s new every time — and it’s dying,” it’s clear he’s not just talking about jazz. Seb is also a conduit for La La Land writer/director Damien Chazelle to express his frustration with the state of movie musicals and, through Seb’s romance with an aspiring actress named Mia (Emma Stone), to do something about it. With infectious enthusiasm, charismatic leads, gorgeous songs, vibrant colors, and dazzling camerawork, La La Land restores the original movie musical to its former glory.
