Oscars 2017: Why La La Land worked better than anyone dreamed

Value investing, mixed with a contrarian streak, helped Lions Gate beat the blockbuster model

Brassy love ballads, Technicolor dialogue, and a smattering of soft-shoe — La La Land had all the makings of a blockbuster, in the 1940s at least. Today, the mass market of moviegoers prefer action to romance, aliens to artists, and above all else the blossoming genre of superhero bros in tights.

It’s no surprise that La La Land was a hit with critics and remains the heavy favourite to win the Academy Award for Best Picture on February 26. What’s improbable, however, is how widely the film has won favour. Of late, the most critically praised films tended to have