Critics Have Chosen La La Land

Welcome to the award give-away season! Last night The Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA) and Broadcast Television Journalists Association (BTJA) announced the winners of the 22nd Annual Critics’ Choice Awards.

The evening appeared to be the most successful to La La Land, the movie by Damien Chazelle known for his other works Whiplash and 10 Cloverfied Lane. We have just presented you with this movie as a new December entry and it already took home eight awards, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay.

Click here to see all the winners of the 22nd Critics' Choice Awards.

How come that such a genre as a musical swipes a major bank of awards? As described by Anthony Lane (The New Yorker, December 12, 2016 issue), even the plot is nothing original or new: "Boy meets girl, stuck in a traffic jam, and honks at her. Girl gives boy the finger. Boy drives on. Boy meets girl again, in a bar, and brushes past. Girl thinks boy is a jerk. Boy meets girl again, at a party, and something clicks. Boy loves girl, at last. But what if girl and boy want different things from love? And why make such a song and dance about it?" Though the boy is Ryan Gosling (Sebastian) and the girl is Emma Stone (Mia).

To solve this mystery, you have to watch it for yourselves. But do take Anthony Lane's advise: "Catch the film on the largest screen you can find, with a sound system to match, even if that means journeying all day. Have a drink beforehand. And, whatever you do, don’t wait for a DVD or a download." Perhaps you'll also feel like dancing with the stars.