Damien Chazelle

[Tdog]

Speaking of Babylon, I feel like there is an essay to be written on how it and Boogie Nights are almost literally the exact same film set in different time periods. I even noticed entire sequences that were, almost shot for shot, identical to moments in Boogie Nights. Between that and La La Land often referencing PDL, I think its safe to say that PTA is a huge influence on Damien Chazelle. But yeah, unfortunately the performance of Babylon and The Fabelmans has me a bit concerned about these kinds of films continuing to get theatrical releases in the future.

I haven't seen Babylon, I don't even know if it's come out yet in Ireland; but the opening of the trailer with the Cocaine taking was PURE Boogie Nights.

I've enjoyed all the movies of his I've seen but is First Man essentially his PDL/TWBB and then he went back and tried to make Boogie Nights?

[Drenk]

Chazelle obviously loves all the superficial aspects of Anderson cinema.

[RudyBlatnoyd]

Chazelle is basically the hack version of PTA: a wunderkind who decided to go down the bloated, superficial route rather than the weird, interesting route.

[DickHardwood2022]

Damn everyone having a dig at Chazelle is it haha.

Is he really a hack version of PTA or simply just a good but lesser director?

[Alethia]

He's a skilled one-man PTA cover band. Impeccable craft, no poetry.

[Lempwick]

I don't get the comparison at all.  When would PTA ever make something as demanding technically as First Man?  The sound, the cutting of those in-flight setpieces, etc.?  Chazelle overreached with Babylon, as the script wasn't developed enough, but calling him a hack is absurd. 

[RudyBlatnoyd]

I don't get the comparison at all.  When would PTA ever make something as demanding technically as First Man?  The sound, the cutting of those in-flight setpieces, etc.?  Chazelle overreached with Babylon, as the script wasn't developed enough, but calling him a hack is absurd. 

I thought First Man was a bit of a snoozefest, personally: a mix of dimestore psychology and repetitious scenes of near-disaster in space (although I will admit that the Moon landing sequence was well-crafted). Chazelle is showy like PTA was in his early days, but he doesn't seem to be capable of the same creative growth or subtlety and genuine strangeness.

[Drenk]

His juvenile and "masculine" passion for performance also spoils his skills (see: even that word, skill, is about performance). The intro of La La Land is heavy as hell. The camera weights a ton. All his characters are as obsessed with performing as him—hollow, heavy handed spectacle cinema...

He'll make miniseries, then realize that he should just pivot to music videos.

[pynchonikon]

Can we please move this Babylon-Chazelle discussion to the right thread, instead of bombing this one with stuff irrelevant to the Untitled PTA? Thanks.

[DickHardwood2022]

I don't get the comparison at all.  When would PTA ever make something as demanding technically as First Man?  The sound, the cutting of those in-flight setpieces, etc.?  Chazelle overreached with Babylon, as the script wasn't developed enough, but calling him a hack is absurd. 

When would PTA NOT make something as technical?

[Lempwick]

I don't get the comparison at all.  When would PTA ever make something as demanding technically as First Man?  The sound, the cutting of those in-flight setpieces, etc.?  Chazelle overreached with Babylon, as the script wasn't developed enough, but calling him a hack is absurd. 

When would PTA NOT make something as technical?

I'm sorry, but First Man is far more intricate and convoluted to craft than anything PTA has done post-Boogie Nights. 

[DickHardwood2022]

I don't get the comparison at all.  When would PTA ever make something as demanding technically as First Man?  The sound, the cutting of those in-flight setpieces, etc.?  Chazelle overreached with Babylon, as the script wasn't developed enough, but calling him a hack is absurd. 

When would PTA NOT make something as technical?

I'm sorry, but First Man is far more intricate and convoluted to craft than anything PTA has done post-Boogie Nights. 

Ok but how is it though? im just curious to know how is all

[WorldForgot]

Personally I dig La La Land but I can tell there's not much 'there' there beyond a sweet story and great production design. He's got hella panache but not much to say with it.

I wonder if he's anybody's "favorite" director.

[Alethia]

I don't get the comparison at all.  When would PTA ever make something as demanding technically as First Man?  The sound, the cutting of those in-flight setpieces, etc.? 

When would PTA NOT make something as technical?

I'm sorry, but First Man is far more intricate and convoluted to craft than anything PTA has done post-Boogie Nights. 

There Will Be Blood and The Master I'd argue are both at least as technically "demanding" as First Man, if not more so. And far more memorable for me personally.

[Drenk]

But Space Mountain is more intricate than any Van Gogh.

What's painting technique compared to a looping?