A musical (remember those?) has been released at the tail end of the year and has dazzled its audience. Damien Chazelle came on the scene a couple of years back with ‘Whiplash’, and moviegoers have been eagerly waiting for his next project since the previous film’s ending credits started to role. With this film seen as a risk because of the genre it’s set in, this could’ve been a big misstep for the young writer/director. And I’m happy to say that it wasn’t.
La La Land’s plot revolves around the love between Mia (Stone) and Sebastian (Gosling) and the struggles of trying to make it in show business. Mia is an aspiring actress that just can’t catch a break when she crosses paths, on a few comical occasions, with Jazz musician, Sebastian. We follow the course of their relationship and how sacrifices must be made to achieve their dreams. The plot isn’t really deep or thought provoking but has an even amount of realism in the film and eventually ends in a way that isn’t the typical happy Hollywood fashion that you would think would come out of a musical.
The acting driving force of this film is in the two leads of Stone and Gosling. The chemistry between the two is perfect. They both share a decent amount of charm in the film that doesn’t overwhelm the story or come off as annoying. Since this is a musical, we definitely have to discuss the singing and dancing from the two. Gosling and Stone don’t really hit those high notes, but instead, stay within their range; that works perfectly for the tone of the film. There are a few choreographed scenes that allow the background dancers and other players to keep us entertained while still keeping the focus on Gosling and Stone. Gosling and Stone later share a dance number that isn’t spectacular, but is still entertaining and gives them opportunity to just have fun with the scene.
The director of this film only adds to the idea that Chazelle is really becoming a master of his craft. The opening musical set piece is a straight love letter to the striving-to-make-it-in-Hollywood part of Los Angeles that was an absolute blast to watch. It’s a great welcoming beginning that the film presents to the audience, that lets you know what levels the story will reach. The series of long takes that Chazelle uses was a great add-on for the film and allowed the story to keep moving forward with little to no stalling. When the movie is coming to a close, there is a fantasy set-piece that looks positively beautiful. There’s no CGI and scenes are played out using practical effects that doesn’t take you out of the film.
I’m not a big fan of musicals, but I loved this film so much that I’ve been listening to the soundtrack since I could get my hands on it. Many of the scenes still play out in my head throughout the day and in some ways, I wish could come into my reality. The love letter film about the magic of musicals, Hollywood, and Los Angeles was a delight to watch and is a great uplifting story that doesn’t get hokey or corny. Go see this if you want to have a good time at the theater, other than a typical action or superhero film.