I have a copy, that I haven’t fully finished yet, of Tom Shone’s book, “The Nolan Variations,” which has so many great nuggets about Christopher Nolan’s career. It’s the definitive book about the “Oppenheimer” filmmaker and well worth a read for fans of his films.
In the pages of Shone’s book, Nolan discusses musicals, and his lack of interest in the genre. It’s not surprising to read that Nolan isn’t a fan of musicals — his cinema has always been more about genre-driven visceral filmmaking.
I wouldn’t say it’s my favorite genre either, but sometimes, even the grouchiest of musical haters, must admit that some of these films transcend the genre and make for a magnificent cinematic experience — I’m particularly thinking of “Singin’ in the Rain,” “The Umbrellas of Cherbourg,” “Dancer in the Dark,” “West Side Story” (‘61), “All That Jazz,” and “The Band Wagon.”
Another title that I’d add to that list is Damien Chazelle’s “La La Land,” and, in the book, Nolan admits that he’s a big fan of the film, having seen it three times in theaters, when it was first released, and further more on home video …
La La Land, to me, is an extraordinary film. I saw it three or four times, it's just an amazing piece of directing, and I don't usually like musicals.
Nolan has rarely, if ever, spoken publicly about his feelings on musicals, and these comments seem to be one of the few times, maybe the only, where he’s actually admitted to liking one.
Chazelle’s film had these moments of pure joy that made you feel punch-drunk in love with movies again. Emma Stone won an Oscar for her performance as Mia, a struggling actress hoping to find her big break. Mia falls for Sebastian, a playful and charismatic Ryan Gosling, as they embark on a colorfully touching journey filled with luscious photography, wonderful musical numbers and a brilliantly melancholic ending.
A lot has been said about the “Moonlight” vs. “La La Land” Oscars in 2017, not to mention the envelope controversy. Which film would you have given the Oscar for Best Picture to? Six years on, there’s still much debate about the merits of both films. I’m still in the ‘La La’ camp — Jenkins’ Oscar winner was 2/3 of a great film, and I just didn’t like the final stretch of the film.