BEAUTIFUL AND EMPTY REPLICANT

Some movies are just not to be touched, revamped and continued, since they represent cult features that changed cinematography, redefined entire genres and influenced the entire pop culture.

One of those revolutionary stories and unbeaten representations of the future is the Phillip K. Dick’s and Ridley Scott’s masterpiece SF-noir about the robots and artificial intelligence as the ultimate frontier of mankind, ''Blade Runner''.

Unlike the many similar contemporary cash driven desires to continue the story and finally give some of the much needed answers to the 80s classics, the production team for „Blade Runner: 2049” lead by the creator of the original, Ridley Scott, did their homework and did it well.

They chose one of the best directors in Hollywood right now, Dennis Villeneuve and casted one of the more stellar crews in recent history of SF making (Gosling, Wright, Leto and of course, Harrison Ford).

The visual result was just stunning, since gifted director meticulously solved every single detail in each scene. Transferring the legendary atmosphere of the first part of the (unfortunately) saga was just done with flying colors and that deserves every appraisal.

However, this is where the good things top and give way to the cancer that’s eating 21st century Hollywood.

Lame scripts.

Just to be clear, the original „Blade Runner” was probably the weakest script of all the Top 10 movies of all times it rightfully belongs to, but was also the revolutionary insight into the future, offering some of the most intriguing and so exploited concepts that followed it.

„Blade Runner: 2049” doesn’t have any of those things, since it offers neither new concepts, neither viable characters, nor acting or even some decent answers. It just wanders off, not showing any signs of life and driving the stellar crew into the average, while making the script look blunt and unfinished.

„Blade Runner: 2049” is a beautiful replicant of the original movie, with some great camera, color, production and light, but also with a mediocre script unworthy of the name it continues.

BLADE RUNNER 2049 – 5/10

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OOH LA LA

Modern day Hollywood hype around a certain flick is rarely deserved, and I was one of the doubters when it came to 14 (fourteen) nominations for „oscars” for a musical. To be quite hones, I don't like musicals. Basically, I hate them. If I exclude the classic ones („Hair”, „All that jazz”), I disliked almost every single one of those who roared across Kodak theater in the '90s and early '00s (i.e. „Moulin rouge!” and „Chicago”). Hence, my skepticism around the much acclaimed and awaited second Damien Chazelle's long feature was really, really high. And totally undeserved.

In its nutshell, „La la land” is one perfectly balanced blockbuster. Although a musical, the score doesn't overpower the narrative. Although lighthearted and cheerful, it offers some serious existential questions beneath its surface. Although serious for a musical, it doesn't drown in the darkness of modern day US drama. Although funny, it criticizes both Hollywood and the world of music. Although one great hommage to the „good old times”, city of Los Angeles, classical Hollywood and jazz, it stays way out of the pool of pathetic and tacky thank-you notes. All of this, thanks to one single man, the genius behind the camera, young and incredibly talented director and screenwriter, Damien Chazelle.

Taking total control over this vast project, he shows off in every single aspect of it, nailing the certain „golden boys” for best directing, cinematography, editing and production design. By casting the best available young actress (immaculate Emma Stone), he secures the reality of his characters, using the male lead (best Gosling in years) to complement her story. And the story is really one of those everyone can easily relate to, giving the widest possible audience the chance to follow it all the way to the very end.

Ending is a special piece of Chazelle's art, just like the one in his previous indie hit, „Whiplash”. Although a huge musical (jazz) fan, Damien doesn't produce movie fairytales, although they certainly look that way in one point or another. The ending will lift „La la land” from its shell of a elaborated romantic comedy to the level of serious drama that will stand the test of time in years to come.

„La la land” is the one of the best American movies in this decade and certainly the best musical in this century. It will make you laugh, cry, think over it and talk about it long after you left the cinema. Just like every great movie in cinema history does.

LA LA LAND – 9/10

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