The Exonian Reviews: La La Land (2016)
By ARYAN AGARWAL and KEVIN THANT
Dark purple skies amidst dark streets illuminated by lamp posts at midnight set the scene of two strangers’ love and ambitions.
Proclaimed to be a horror movie rather than a love story, La La Land tells the tale of two people who fall in love, each with different dreams. It is as if the story couldn’t get cliche enough, and the whole movie is a slice of life—or that’s what it seems on the surface. It is set amidst the hauntingly beautiful backdrop of “The City of Angels” in the 40s and 50s.
La La Land begins with the fateful meeting of two strangers, Mia and Sebastian, played by Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling. Despite his talent, Sebastian is a failing jazz pianist who fails to find a job because of his passion for “pure jazz.” Mia is an actress who is not getting any calls or finding an acting job and works as a barista.
In a fateful first encounter, Seb plays his “pure jazz,” the movie’s central music titled “Mia and Sebastian’s theme,” which gets him fired despite Mia being enchanted by it. As the show develops, they push each other towards success, with Seb supporting Mia to go outside her comfort zone and Mia making sure Seb stays pure to his jazz roots.
Their ambition of becoming successful artists unites them and parallels the love that keeps them together. This entrances viewers despite the knowledge that their ambition in their respective crafts will eventually lead to their separation.
La La Land tells this story through beautiful cinematography and music, which sings the movie to life. We are entranced by the skies and the one illuminated streetlamp where Mia and Sebastian share a dance. Director Daniel Chazelle’s distinctive style makes any scene iconic, even without context. A La La Land scene is recognizable instantly. This, combined with Stone and Gosling’s electric chemistry, creates an unforgettable visual experience.
But the music in the backdrop plays with the viewer’s heartstrings. “Mia and Sebastian’s theme” is haunting. It is played when they first meet and when they meet each other again after they separate. The song “A Lovely Night” perfectly highlights Mia and Seb’s electric encounter. The movie doesn’t use music simply as a backdrop but as a medium to convey emotion. You could listen to just the music and experience the same emotions.
Apart from the beauty of its audio and visuals, La La Land warns us of the dangers of love and ambition. Both Mia and Seb achieve their ultimate dreams. Seb opens his jazz club, and Mia becomes an actor, but they only do so through each other. But in that process, they lose each other, sacrificing their relationship for their dreams.
In a heartbreaking goodbye scene, Mia says, “I’m always going to love you.” Even after five years, Seb names his jazz club the same way Mia would have. The two meet again in the movie’s final scene in Seb’s jazz club. While playing “Mia and Sebastian’s theme,” they share a moment where they envision what life could have been like together. But the dream ends, and they share a nod, and Mia leaves with her new husband.
It’s a perfect sucker punch to those emotionally invested in the relationship. Viewers question whether it was for the best. “It’s your dream. You got to give it everything you got,” Seb says, and they both gave it everything. But was the sacrifice of love worth the achievement of their dreams? La La Land serves as a bittersweet lesson—it tells us that sometimes you just have to let them go.
