“La La Land,” a musical romance starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, debuted to sustained applause at the Venice Film Festival Wednesday.
The film is the third feature-length movie written and directed by Damien Chazelle , the Rhode Island native and Harvard grad who filmed his first movie, “Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench,” in Boston at the age of 24. (Globe critic Ty Burr called the musical “a gritty, no-budget love letter to Beantown.”)
Chazelle’s second film was “Whiplash,” which won three Oscars. (J.K. Simmons won best supporting actor at both the Oscars and Golden Globes for his role as a psychotic music instructor who makes life miserable for a star pupil, played by Miles Teller.)
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Sounds like “La La Land” is a good follow to Chazelle’s last hit. Critics who saw the movie in Venice on Wednesday came away impressed. The Guardian called it “wonderfully sweet and sad,” a “sun-drenched musical masterpiece,” and Variety says “La La Land” is a “voluptuous high note of retro glamour and style.” The only bad news is that the movie won’t be released here until December.
LA LA LAND is sensational. Jacques Demy for the digital age, Singin' in the Rain for the gap between romance & reality. 1st shot = all-timer
— david ehrlich (@davidehrlich) August 31, 2016
La La Land: I'm honestly crying with happiness. That film no-one makes any more? Damien Chazelle just made it. #Venezia73
— Robbie Collin (@robbiereviews) August 31, 2016
La La Land has a definite run at best picture Oscar #Venezia73 @cinevue
— John Bleasdale (@drjonty) August 31, 2016
The fizziest most achingly romantic movie #lalaland does for musicals what Tarantino did for guns @CineVue #Venezia73
— John Bleasdale (@drjonty) August 31, 2016
Early La La Land reviews suggest Oscars may beckon: 'A movie worth savouring’ https://t.co/Ha5j01vIsh pic.twitter.com/3f7vTL3PBR
— Indy Film (@TheIndyFilm) August 31, 2016
I saw this. It's as good as people are saying. https://t.co/cqpdm2jI8R
— Jason Gay (@jasongay) August 31, 2016
La La Land is an all-singing, all-dancing Oscars frontrunner - ★★★★★ review from @robbiereviews https://t.co/sBjaUqXIry
— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) August 31, 2016
Heather Ciras can be reached at heather.ciras@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @heatherciras.