Movie review: 'La La Land' and 'Jackie'

Lionsgate, 2016.

Fox Searchlight, 2016.

"La La Land"

Without hesitation, this is not only the best film of 2016, it is easily the best movie so far this decade. 31-year-old writer/director Damien Chazelle ("Whiplash") brings us the most satisfying, entertaining and joyous piece of cinema in recent memory.

"La La Land" is a musical set in - where else - Los Angeles, where two dreamers played by Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, meet in stop-still traffic on an LA Highway, and their paths are forever altered. Talk about an optimistic, romantic film: Even those stuck in heavy city traffic feel the need to break out in dance.  The music is instantly memorable and will stick in your head for days, the performances are both top-notch and untouchable...if Emma Stone is not named Best Actress this year, contact Jill Stein for a recount.

This is a movie where every single shot, every frame of film, is beautifully rendered.  Chazelle breathes the spirit of old Hollywood into this labor of love picture, and the result is an enchanting time capsule of a film that feels like it could have been released in the 1950s.  It is an ode to everything that we love about the cinema and also is a story about following one's dreams.  Do yourself a gigantic favor and see this one on the big-screen.  If it doesn't move you in some way, you might want to check your pulse.

Wow is "La La Land" fantastic...it's an instant classic that evokes every emotion in perfect harmony, written and directed by a young man who - along with "Whiplash" - has now made two of the most remarkable films of the decade.  Just wanted to repeat that one last time.  And for those that think this might be over-hyping a stuffy "awards" movie?  I dare you to see it for yourself.

Grade:  A+
Genre: Comedy. Drama, Romance.
Run Time:  2 hours,  8 minutes, Rated PG-13.

Starring: Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, John Legend, Rosemarie DeWitt.

Written and Directed by Damien Chazelle ("Whiplash").

"Jackie"

Natalie Portman stars as the iconic First Lady, Jacqueline Kennedy, in the aftermath of the JFK Assassination, in "Jackie."  Inside sources (OK, my mom) had serious problems with Natalie Portman's hair-do, enough to distract away from the movie, but you can judge for yourself.

If you weren't alive during this horrific national tragedy, "Jackie" stands as part of the story that you probably never heard about.  Still trying to process the unthinkable act that just befell her and her family, the First Lady still had to deal with business in the coming days, and her perseverance and courage in the face of such horrors was something to behold.

The film is framed by a news reporter (Billy Crudup) who was granted an interview with Jackie just days after the shooting, and we also see her through the eyes of a TV special that had aired prior to President Kennedy's death, where cameras - for the very first time - were invited inside the White House for a grand tour.

Portman's performance is cold and haunting, and thus, so is the film.  She carries it, and gives a strong performance, but more than that, the film itself is done in a slick and reverent way that keeps your interest throughout.  Yes, "Jackie" is being lauded for Natalie Portman, but this is more than just a "movie with a great performance in it."  The movie itself is pretty darned good too.

Grade:  B+.
Genre:  Biography, Drama.
Run Time:  1 hour, 40 minutes, Rated R.

Starring:  Natalie Portman, Peter Sarsgaard, Greta Gerwig, Billy Crudup, John Hurt, Max Casella.

Directed by Pablo Larrain ("Neruda," "The Club," "No").