Movie Review: La La Land
When I walked into the dimly lit movie theater with my buttered popcorn in hand, I had high expectations for “La La Land,” a movie directed by Damien Chazelle and starring Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling. I had already heard about the film from many friends, who raved about its musical score and fantastic acting. I now understand why they were so excited. With an uplifting score and strong chemistry between the actors, my expectations were more than fulfilled.
Endlessly witty and charming, this film depicts Los Angeles in the perfect light, glossing over its flaws while illustrating the hardships that Mia (Stone) and Sebastian, or “Seb” (Gosling), endure whilst living in the city. These two main characters are young performance artists in their twenties, who are both pursuing their dreams in the so-called “city of stars.” When we first meet Mia, she is working at a coffee shop in the Universal Studios parking lot, but she aspires to be an actress. Seb is a contrarian jazz pianist, passionate about his music, who is tirelessly fighting to keep classical jazz alive. “La La Land” follows the relationship that ensues between the two and the process in which they strive to obtain their respective careers.
While Mia goes through multiple failed auditions, she always has the strength and optimism to continue pursuing her dream, maintaining the hope that “someone in the crowd” will eventually help boost her career. Indirectly, this leads her to Seb. The rest of the movie goes through Mia and Seb’s rollercoaster-like relationship, truly displaying the reality of love and the pursuit of dreams in the modern world.
La La Land’s greatest triumph is its revival of the musical. The performance of each character exudes confidence and whimsy. The movie’s score threaded throughout the storyline and the energetic dance routines in every scene makes the film so much better than a boring “chick flick” about two attractive young people trying to make it in Los Angeles. The classical dance numbers were a salute to past cinematic musicals. However, each one was spiced with a modern twist. In these upbeat and flashy scenes, there is only a hint of reminiscence, setting the movie apart from musicals of the past and issuing a new wave of possibility for future cinematic musicals.
Despite their phenomenal acting, Stone and Gosling lack much talent for singing. As genius reviving as La La Land is, the stars weren’t quite able to belt out their biggest numbers. Though the songs themselves were vibrant and playful, the musical skills showcased could have been even better. What will be remembered, though, is the chemistry between Gosling and Stone—a relationship so natural and effortless that it carries the characters throughout the entire film. I also applaud the fact that the leads went to such ends to learn how to sing and dance.
If you need a movie to watch with your friends in your dorm room, with family at home, or even alone on your laptop, this is your movie. La La Land is suspenseful, yet relaxing. Its vivid scenes keep you rapt, and its message rings true for everyone: achieving your dreams and maintaining relationships never come easy.