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SoTrumpBelieve Must See Movie...

ClassyWas Excellent, smart action film.

StyleSk8r At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

br5833 This is a sweet film. I was very impressed with the film editing because the film is beautifully set to a jazz soundtrack motivated by the narrative since the male protagonist ("Guy" of the title) is a jazz trumpet player. The film not only depicts the romance of the leads (Guy and Madeline), but also the city in which they live. I really enjoyed the beautiful city shots, both in Boston and New York. The soundtrack is great - especially the jazz, including that played by Guy, but not only. The film is full of references to French post-war films so it's added fun to watch for the expert as well. The director did a lot with the camera, so it works well that the film is rather sparse in dialog. The actors' faces say everything. The lead performers, in particular, were outstanding: their faces are extraordinarily expressive. The moments when the actors break out in song and dance were just pure fun.

marknyc I thought the conceit of the film was to juxtapose a micro budget with a lush symphonic score and Godardish realism with tap dance numbers, but that never really happens. The musical numbers are few and far between, and the only real one (Boy in the Park) doesn't come until 3/4 of the way into the film.If you establish a premise in a film (characters break into song to express their feelings), you must be true to it, not afraid of it. It felt like the filmmaker couldn't decide whether to go all the way - I wish he had. It would've made for a far more watchable film. What we get is a film that is unsatisfying for those watching for the fantasy and for those watching for the realism.

jotix100 Damien Chazelle, the director of this film, was clearly influenced by some of the French New Wave directors, particularly, Jean-Luc Godard, as well as others, but it is obvious he likes that period. His style gives the viewer a feeling of being somewhat improvisational as he takes his camera into the Boston streets to illustrate the story he wanted to tell. The film shot in black and white takes the viewer to another era when movies were perhaps more spontaneous and without a rigid story line."Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench" is easy to take, but after a while, one wonders what did Mr. Chazelle had in mind. It is clear the director is more concerned on the style and look he wanted to give the finished product rather than the substance of the story. It is a simple tale about love between two young people. He is a black trumpet player and she is a waitress. Their romance does not last long. Guy goes after other women and Madeline wanders aimlessly through the streets of the city. Eventually, as if fated, the lovers will come back together.It is easy to see Damian Chazelle has talent and it would be interesting to hope he will do better next time. He succeeds in the choice of music one hears in the background. Jason Palmer's Guy is a pleasant young man who probably expected more of his involvement with Madeline. Desiree Garcia, on the other hand, makes a wonderful introspective case of her Madeline.

hlmrw100 Save yourself the time and trouble as this is more of a "first-year film student" type of picture. It was painful to watch and my first was reaction was "that was 90 minutes of my life I'll never get back." I should have gone with my first impression and walked out after the first ten minutes. There is basically no plot to speak of, very poor cinematography, no character development, poor acting all around and generally no redeeming qualities to speak of. There were some great opportunities to show some of the more interesting sights and sounds of Boston. However to film instead chooses to show irrelevant close-ups of the actors for no apparent reason. The sound mixing and quality is very "unusual" to say the least and you may want to consider bringing your ear-muffs. The picture qualify is even less finished. There was perhaps one sequence in the entire film which would be considered big screen worthy, that of restaurant dancing/singing number. Overall, one of the worst movies I have ever seen.