The story is a classic one, retold time and time again. Two people meet, they dislike each other at first, they click, they fall in love, they live and laugh together, and they end up happily ever after. This story arc has been repeated in movies (especially in Hollywood) ever since the beginning of cinema, with each film trying to add its own unique twist to the generic plot to liven it up for the audience. When looking for what La La Land would bring to the table, I was pleasantly surprised to see something so new, yet so simple. It added hopes and dreams.
Winner of seven golden globes, La La Land, directed by Damien Chazelle, who previously directed the critically-acclaimed (and similarly jazz-influenced) film Whiplash, stars passionate jazz musician Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) and aspiring actress Mia (Emma Stone) struggling to fulfill their dreams in contemporary Hollywood. Sebastian hopes to open a jazz club that pays homage to the old great jazz musicians, and Mia hopes to achieve fame on the big screen. When the film opens, both are stuck in a rut. Mia, after years in Los Angeles, can’t seem to get cast in anything, and is stuck working at a coffee shop. Sebsastian has been fired from the club he played at, and is performing for uninterested patrons at various restaurants around town. Both Mia and Sebastian are ready to give up, until they meet. They inspire each other, and build off each other in a town known for breaking hearts and destroying hope. When both near their goals, they must decide what is more important: sticking with a once-and-a-lifetime love, or fulfilling a lifelong dream.
The film is inspired by the golden age of Hollywood, when the dominating genre was romantic musicals. Both characters sing and dance throughout the movie, and the film opens with a large colorful dance number that invites you into the film with its charm and cheery attitude. The songs are lively and romantic, and can really set the mood for the film. They make you feel Sebastian’s frustration, or Mia’s dwindling hopefulness. The film builds a spectacular ambience with its music, and it’s supported by great cinematography.
La La Land was shot in widescreen Cinemascope, which is what most of the movies in the 50s were shot on. The use of older technology paid off, because it brings the aesthetic of the classics to a modern setting. It was bizarre for me, seeing the film grain imprinted on a prius or a cellphone, and sucked me into the movies attempt to honor the golden age. It didn’t only stand out aesthetically for me, but the entire cinematography was absolutely gorgeous. It featured fantastic lighting, beautiful framing, and the most fantastic colors. The colors didn’t blend like they do in modern movies, they explode on the screen, add a dash of fantasy to the film, and show how powerful the directors vision was.
The writing for the film was some of the best I’ve ever seen for a movie of this genre, and it’s all thanks to the character development. In other romance movies, they often have the characters’ interest and passions take a back seat, and make the potential for a relationship the most dominant thing in the characters’ life. La La Land defies the common trope and reminds us that these are real people, with multifaceted lives. They have hopes and dreams, goals and ambitions. Not only do they want love, but they want fame and success, happiness and fulfillment that sometimes love cannot fulfill. This addition adds humanity to the characters and, thanks to the stupendous acting by Gosling and Stone, makes the characters the best written characters in a story that I’ve ever witnessed. Both Mia and Sebastian are portrayed brilliantly through not only dialogue, but also the subtle things. Sebastian’s love for classic and chaotic jazz is a window into his personality. Spontaneous, intense, passionate, and stubborn. He dresses up in older clothes that seem out of place for the time-setting. He drives an old convertible and listens to all his music on cassette tapes. He’s stubborn in the sense that he is less inclined to look towards the future, and more to the past. His unwillingness to change is even referenced when his friend Keith, played by John Legend, said to him, “You’re holding onto the past, but jazz is about the future.” When he finally does decide to adapt and change his traditionalist views on music, he finds it works wonders on his success and allows him to get closer to his dream of owning a club, but forces him to put his relationship with Mia on the backburner, which has dire consequences.
The real tension comes from the debate of love versus ambition, and if it’s possible to achieve both your goals and the perfect romance. The film juggles both masterfully, and shows the cause and effect of leaning towards one side or the other. The final act in the film will surprise you, as it defies expectations for what you would expect of a romance movie. It’s climactic, emotional, raw, and incredibly organic and natural.
In the end, La La Land is a brilliant Pièce De Résistance that showcases the magic of Hollywood and pays homage quite excellently to the old greats with a modern twist. The music is dazzling and beautiful, the acting is incredible and well performed, the cinematography is jaw dropping and powerful, and the writing is masterful in its attempt to write and portray extremeley believable and realistic characters.