La La Land - I went in really wanting to like this movie and left thinking "wait...that's it? What's so great about that?" The was a lot to like/admire on a technical level, it was confidently directed, and the music was good...but the whole thing felt empty b/c it wasn't really about anything beyond the bare-bones minimum plot necessary to even have a movie. I guess the end could've worked, but the little montage Mia had dragged on way too long and eventually I just felt like "yes, yes, yes you're very sad and conflicted; we get it, can I please go home now?" I also liked the fight at Sebastian's apartment b/c it was the only time I was truly invested in the story since - drumroll please - there were actually dramatic stakes for a conflict that didn't get perfectly resolved after two minutes. Also, while Stone and Gosling both brought a great deal of charisma to their roles (as did J.K. Simmons in a small role), they were basically playing one-note stock types rather than actual characters and I often felt like I was watching "Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone fall in love and worry about whether they're talented/attractive/self-confident/whatever enough to make it in Hollywood: The Movie." This felt a lot like Singin' in the Rain and I don't mean that as a compliment. Solid C
Fences - This was basically a filmed play and would've been much better on Broadway. That said, the acting (especially by Denzel Washinton, Viola Davis, and Mykelti Williamson) is absolutely incredible and I'll be shocked if Davis doesn't win best supporting actress at the Oscars. B/B- but it'd probably be a B+/A- if I saw the play instead with the same cast.
It was a play, with mostly the same cast, in 2010. Denzel directed it too. I'd like to see it.
I watched "Jason Bourne" over the weekend. Goddamn, that series has gotten dumb. What a waste of 2 hours
