There's Zooey Deschanel with her saucer-sized blue eyes, her thick bangs and her cute clothes, an excellent soundtrack that includes She & Him, The Smiths and Regina Spektor and a wry look at the down and outs of love. Beyond that, the reason to go is that the movie showcases one of my favorite parts of LA. Downtown is the star here...
This is not the usual movie LA with its sweeping views of the Hollywood sign and the palm trees of Beverly Hills. In fact, I was sitting in the movies with a friend who leaned over to me at one point and whispered, "Where are they?;" she was surprised when I answered LA.
This is the LA that's familiar to those of us who live here: the juxtaposition of parking lots and stately edifices; gated old buildings whose courtyards are full of prickly over-sized dusty palms and cacti; bars hidden on dark deserted steep streets and apartments up rickety staircases that remind us of those belonging to our friends. Summer's apartment captivated us with its over-sized floral wallpaper, its wrought iron bed, a jewelry tree hung with delicate origami swans and bedding we could easily see in Laure's home. Tom's apartment, otherwise a study in browns and beige, redeemed itself with a full blackboard wall.
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I loved this movie (cool story, great soundtrack, nice sets) . I too had a hard time figuring out where the story takes place until half way through the film - and I think that's part of the charm. I'm glad the filmmakers were able to make downtown LA look good, if a bit anonymous. And boy did I notice the blackboard wall. I don't want to give anything away, but it's used near the end to move the story forward. Very cool.
Her sister is a better actor - but again I haven't seen this movie.
Ah I want to see this movie! I got free tickets to a pre-screening (well, I don't know why they're calling it a pre-screening if it's already out)! Now I'll have to keep an eye out for the decor & LA.
Loved this movie! I recognized a few of the locations in the movie. Bar where they sing is the Pirate Bar in downtown. Fun and Dark, nice decor. But I cant identify the park where they sit at on the benches and the building in the last scene with the beautiful elevators. Any ideas? Thanks!
Aahhhh, this movie is so pretty! I loved everything about it, especially the set design and locations. :)
I saw the movie this weekend and enjoyed the interiors and locations too. The building in the last scene is the wonderful Bradbury Building from the 1890s, believe it or now -- probably best known in film for its (much different) appearance in "Blade Runner."
It looked to me that the benches (are they there in real life?) are on the east-facing slope of Bunker Hill, next to Angel's Flight. Somehow, the camera was positioned to avoid any signs of the cantilevered park of California Plaza.
But of course, this movie is a fairytale. How could the characters afford their own lofts in downtown? Where were the homeless, the Latino community?
Nonetheless, it was a lovely bit of trifle!
As a resident of Downtown LA it was great to see my neighborhood featured in such a way.
Some of the locations off the top of my head:
The architecture firm is located in the Bradbury Building.
The park on the slope facing the Historic Core is Angels Knoll. It's accessible by a staircase next to Angels Flight, also off of Olive Street and via the rear of Cal Plaza.
Tom's apartment is the Canadian Building, which is at Winston and Main streets (just south of 4th). I couldn't figure out where Summer's apartment was - I don't think that was Downtown.
Valleygurrl--the Latino community doesn't live downtown, but does shop on Broadway, along with the Farsi-speaking community, the Filipino community, the Korean community, etc. It's a romantic movie, not a documentary about Skid Row, so no, the homeless don't have speaking parts. No SAG cards for them.
I think the benches exist there. The bar is really known as The Redwood, and it's an old time journalist hangout.
And lofts aren't all that expensive to rent down here.
saw this movie yesterday and thought it was great. didn't realize it was LA until halfway through as well. would really like to know where some of the locations are. i would love an apartment like tom's. sadly i can't seem to find anything like that on the westside.
@alossix Summer's apartment is The Barclay Apartments on Normandie and 7th, so Koreatown, if we're going to be specific.
I thought the movie was taking place in NY at first! But then once JDL reveals it's Los Angeles, I was SO excited to see the city featured oppositely to how it usually is featured. The Los Angeles featured in this movie is not Hollywood, it's not the beach, it's not palm trees, the Los Angeles in this movie is historic, grand, beautiful and majestic. THIS is the Los Angeles Angelenos know and love. FINALLY!
How many movies cast New York as magical place to live and LA as a lifeless vapid place where souls are sold for entertainment's sake? I've always heard filmmakers refer to their movies as "love letters" to Chicago, or Manhattan or wherever it is set. It's about time someone clued the world into the majesty Los Angeles can have.
I think not telling the audience where they were was an effective plot device because it made you not think about it. You weren't thinking, ohhhhh...they're in LA...that's why she's sooooo not into him. It wasn't that. It was that this story could have happened anywhere, these filmmakers just chose our town. ;)
Palmetto is correct - you can find great deals on lofts in Downtown if you look.
Well, LA used to be magical, but then, the State stopped making deals to attract filming here. Thus, Toronto became Magic City.
I liked and I didn't like that there's no ref. to the entertainment industry. On one hand--great, real life. And yet, everyone knows someone in show biz.
Matt. M--the eastside has got it going on. Come east, young man!
^^^ but it's SO hot out there! i love the cooler temps by the beach!
I haven't seen this movie yet but am dying to. I love JGL so much! If I was a teen again, I'd have pictures of him plastered all over my bedroom.
I was born and live in LA and I don't know anyone in show biz. Guess it depends on where you live and what circles you're in. And I'm with valleygurrl, a great deal of movies set in LA don't really show too many Latinos, if at all. We do make over 40% of the population, but again, I guess it depends on what circles you frequent.
I saw the movie over the weekend and really enjoyed it. It was definitely not our generations "Annie Hall", but still a good story overall and great art direction. Some places I recognized:
The Redwood Bar as the karaoke bar.
The Broadway Bar was the circular bar they go to.
Old Bank DVD as the video/music store.
The Arts Building gets a mention, I believe it's on 7th and Flower.
And the park they frequent is a few blocks north of Pershing Square on Olive.
what a great movie, especially its fresh take on los angeles. i think more movies like this could raise property values... or at least attract less airhead, vapid types.
i noticed that there were very few people of color (i.e. the background), which was kinda weird to me. since when can you visit a park in downtown LA and have it filled with white yuppies?
I literally just returned from watching this movie and logged on to AT! I was watching the movie with my husband here in Austin TX and immediately turned to him and said "I know my city...that's L.A. sweetheart." It was captured so beautifully, I almost cried. It's refreshing to cath a not so familiar glimpse of L.A. I'm personally tired of seeing the Hollywood sign, Rodeo Drive and Palm trees glorified as quintesential L.A. backdrops. I miss home.
I, too, leaned over to my mom during this movie and said "what city are they in?" she didn't know either and said "must be New York."
So, I was quite surprised, too. And really beautiful interiors and architecture everywhere. This movie rocked.
why is this not playing anywhere within an hour radius of me. not fair.
i absolutely LOVED this movie.
i could relate equally to both characters.
i adored tom's apartment. loved the grey mid century leather-looking chair... i want one!
loved this movie. not the manic pixie dream girl cliche-fest you must expect from zooey. also, are her bed pillows from ikea?
This movie was so fantastic! I loved how he drew a headboard on his chalkboard wall.
i absolutely LOVE this movie. there are so so so so many good things about this movie i could just go on and on but i won't because this is a design website not a movie critique website :) basically, the graphics and sceneries felt real, charming, and beautiful. i loved summer's jewelry tree with the origami birds and tom's architecture themed apartment, which i'd like to replicate for sure :)
would anyone happen to know which rooftop or parking lot tom is standing while sketching the la skyline & where summer and tom are standing in the last photo (the rooftop of summer's apt)?