Guy And Madeline On A Park Bench shouldn't be a bad film, the various song and dance sequences throughout the film are very good. It's just too inexperienced to be a good film, it's difficult to watch because of the mix of shakey cam and extreme zoom, which makes it extra shakey. And the hard to follow plot. It shows what Damien Chazelle would go on to do, but wasn't a very good film.

The humble beginnings of mr. chazelle, with all the jazz and music references you could want. It's a fun and cute romance, with some really well made and played music, with that final scene being pretty awesome. There are some unremarkable sound quality and camera work, but you can really see the start of all of chazelle's signature aspects and talent he puts in his films. It reminds me a lot of Following (christopher nolan's first feature). But a really solid feature debut, I wonder what he'll make next.

It is very cute, but you have to keep your expectations tied to the budget: low.

Chazelle is an excellent director, even better than he is a writer, check this one, for example. Guy And Madeline On A Park Bench Chazelle is a musician. That's a known fact but he is a true fanatic. Now the difference is, that he craves for the chills that he gets when he listens to his favorite records. Now, Damien Chazelle is also a writer and director. And this is where everything works out perfectly. His communication skills are off the charts. What he feels, is passed on to you like heritage, leaving you moved in the seat. Emotionally broken and sensitively tender, a coming of age genre is presented here and Chazelle's circle is so pure and passionate, that I don't remember listening to a bad word in this film. If you want to see an execution living up to the expectations of the script. There is a shot between just a boy and a girl gazing at each other in a train. The camera work is intimate with close ups and sharp editing that builds up the affection or attraction step by step. It's quite a productive method, if you think about it, the way he writes. A smart move. He first and foremost, figures out the core reason of that scene's contribution in the narration and it being at that place on the trajectory line. And then deliberately blocks his characters from moving towards it but creating bizarrely genius scenarios, making them earn that piece of note. For instance tale the shower scene. Both the lead characters wishes to be away from each other at that moment, but circumstances are pushing them against their will. They are not happy with the decisions. And to top it off, the metaphor too works in his favour. The musical sequences are meant to be more practical than cinematic, almost as if this was non La La Land. Chazelle's Guy And Madeline On A Park Bench is his first, it is dear to him, he shares it with us, and so it is to us.

Damien Chazelle's first feature length film isn't an easy one to dissect. Filmed like an early John Cassavetes' movie and told with little to no dialogue at all, Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench is much more so an exploration into how difficult it is to maintain love than it is a musical like Chazelle's latest feature, La La Land. But it's Chazelle's grasp on the ups and down's of relationships that make this yet another interesting directorial effort from him. All 3 of his films to this point have involved Jazz, and all 3 of them have also dealt with characters trying to balance their love life with pursuing their Jazz related dreams. 'Guy and Madeline' isn't as intense as Whiplash nor as viscerally memorable as La La Land, but for a first-time feature, it definitely impresses. An occasional dance number, unique camera movement, and long unedited takes make for quite the viewing experience. Again, there's little dialogue, so I can't say I was as invested in the characters as I should have been, but sometimes scenes are more powerful when less is said (see: the final scene). If anything, this was an interesting watch considering all we know about Chazelle's career up to this point. 6.7/10

Before he made a splash with "Whiplash" and "La La Land," Damien Chazelle made his feature film debut with this low budget indie musical that mixes cinema verite with a mix of the musicals of Hollywood in the 1930s. It doesn't always work, but it feels original...and you can definitely see the spark in Chazelle's love of music and jazz and old movies that would go on to fuel his very successful (and more professional) follow-ups. Worth it for seeing the rough beginnings of a talented young filmmaker, or if you just want something low key and offbeat.

Meandering and disjointed on a narrative level, but elevated by the sheer joy in the unorthodox nature of it's formal approach (If Cassavetes wanted to make a Demy film through Vertov's lense, and also loved jazz).

Boring as anything, and difficult to watch. It's like watching a home movie shot by a 5 year old. You must have to be on drugs to enjoy this.

Middling pastiche of the verite of Cassavettes or Burnett and the spontaneity of musicals that only occasionally lifts one anywhere close to the heights of either.

Look, I have a soft spot in my heart for any movie made nowadays in black and white. And it helps that "Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench" has a certain retro charm with its keenly styled musical numbers. But those oh so brief interludes cannot make up for the muddled narrative of the break up of Guy(Jason Palmer), a trumpet player, and Madeline(Desiree Garcia), as they go their separate directions. That's not to mention the amateurish camerawork.

A gorgeous song and dance tale that harkens back

This is pathetic. Nonsensical music with zero reason to watch.

Slow. Weird. Hipsterish. Dull. But good music. I kind of wanted to slap all involved. In fact, if I ever meet them, I will. Slappity slap slap SLAP you boring goofballs! You wasted my morning.

At certain points the story was going so slow, and it was not the agreeable slowness, but the OMG-this-movie-is-never-gonna-end slowness. I especially enjoyed the close-ups, it gave a specific distinction to it, and the step moves and groves. I am still not sure about the ending, I am still not sure about the feeling I have after watching it. But it is definite, I would not repeat the experience, nor I can say that i would recommend it to anybody.

music filled film that isnt afraid to defy the normal standards of filmmaking of today and also depicts an effective romantic drama, there are several authentic details to the romance that I found effective, and lots of good music too

This film is so charming, beautifully put together, and has a tremendous heart and vibe that I love. The tone of the film is so sweet and the look of it is at once nostalgic and also artistic. It?s just really well done and a sure sign of even better films like this to come. A-

Mixing two separate yet compatible elements, Guy and Madeline fuses the cinema verite style of a gritty black and white documentary and the brash tones and rising melodies of an MGM musical, all in one sitting. Though the full impact of said MGM style was lost in the fray of tying the stylings together, the overall effort was astounding. The numbers had an originality that was more Miles Davis than Irving Berlin, which flowed well with the grainy shots of Boston. Threaded into the romantic entanglements of the two main characters was a deep love and appreciation for jazz, fueling the storyline forward by making some of the musical numbers performances that could indeed happen in real life, including a party scene and a jam session. Madeline's two songs on the other hand take place as she walks the streets, and my all-time favorite "When I Kissed the Boy in Park" while closing down a diner she waitresses in. There were some great scenes, including a game of 20 Questions between Elena and a strange old man, and Guy trying to track down Madeline. Altogether, it was confusing when addressing the dying relationships that lead to a reunion of the musicians, but the cute factor kept me watching.

This 16 mm, black and white musical about a young couple's dissolution and reunion is something wholly magical and keenly in tune with the beats and rhythms of NYC. Combines Jazz, French New Wave, and old Hollywood musicals into a vibrant and lively romance brimming with joy.

Saw it while coming down with food poisoning, but I felt it didn't fufill the promise of its form. Still interesting, but could use some honing.

What appears to be an experimental student film is an unique look at young love. More people needed to see this movie! The love of jazz music and singing are apparent. My major complaint was I wish more happened, though!