"Cherbourg" is a much more dramatic movie than "La La Land" - and rightly so.
The story involves circumstances that are much, much more serious than anything in "La La Land". Plus, the setting of the film is a rainy seaside town.
I enjoyed "La La Land" but the attempt to mix star-crossed lovers with the sunny landscape of L.A. meant that the film did not have the same dramatic impact as "Cherbourg".
And then there's Michel Legrand's haunting score, which just serves to push all the poignant and tragic emotions over the top in "Cherbourg". The score for "La La Land" had some dramatic moments, but mostly it was light and show-tuney.
"Cherbourg" is more of an operetta, whereas "La La Land" - per the vision of Chazelle - also incorporates elements of classic MGM musicals; Gosling and Stone dancing in Griffith Park is a direct paean to Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse dancing in the "The Bandwagon". Unfortunately, Gosling did not exhibit any of the finesse of someone like Fred Astaire - while Stone did her best to dance a la Cyd Charisse (who was a superbly trained ballet dancer) but nevertheless fell well short.
I think with genuine Broadway-caliber actors, "La La Land" would have come off as a very different film. It's to their credit that Gosling and Stone nevertheless are appealing in their roles.
"Don't call me 'honey', mac."
"Don't call me 'mac'... HONEY!"
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