Until a few days ago my most memorable experience of film was as a young child watching Jurassic Park for the first time with my parents. Since then my knowledge and love of film has expanded. After watching La La Land for the second time it really is something else... a enchanting, delightful ode to Tinsel town. A masterpiece of musical movies. I never thought I would experience such a cinematic experience again - to be transported to another world.
From the opening sequence it captured everything you could want and more - from a filmmakers point of view it was perfect; the music, the choreography, the tracking shots, the use of colour, the costume, it was hypnotising.
The story follows the two characters, Mia an aspiring actress and Sebastian, a jazz musician, struggling to kick start their careers in the city known for breaking hopes and hearts, La La Land (Los Angeles). As their success increases they are faced with decisions that could break the dreams they built within each other.
The film looks and acts like a classical musical but is set in modern day L.A. The cinematography is beautiful and overall visually stunning.
The film is wonderfully directed, with the same expert control of pace and tension that is expected of Damien Chazelle thanks to his previous, Academy Award winning, Whiplash.
Ryan Gosling is absolutely amazing in the role of Sebastian. He brings the character to life, his use of wit matches Ryan's personality perfectly. The emotional intensity portrayed by Gosling is beautiful, especially during the film's emotional breaking points - particularly in the end sequence, even without the character saying a word. Emma Stone was outstanding in her role as Mia, from the lovely highs to the painful lows. Together they look like the perfect Hollywood couple and their chemistry is undeniable.
As for the soundtrack, I find myself humming along to City of Stars when my mind begins to wonder and waking up singing and shimmying to Another Day of Sun. It is intoxicating and unique. The upbeat songs make you want to get up and dance while the slow songs make you sit and rethink every decision you've ever made in your life. The songs themselves hold such a deeper meaning and there use in the film was perfect.
The ending of a film, in my eyes, can either break or make a film. In this case it 100x made it better. It goes against the predictable musical ending, opening up the audiences' eyes to a bigger meaning of the story. It is possible to achieve your dreams when you strive for them but sometimes the path there isn't always as it seems. In Sebastian's words, "this is the dream. It's compromise and it's conflict".
La La Land reignites a fire that has been lost in Hollywood for a long time. In an era of reboots and remakes this refreshing new story has taken centre stage. This film is made for the dreamers! The people who have a dream and are still trying to achieve it. The people who feel like giving up. A truly magical film of Golden-age cinema alongside the reality of life. A balance between the optimism and magic that you expect from a musical, and the realities of life.
"here’s to the ones who dream, foolish as they may seem"
