My family loves movies. One of my favorite things to do with my parents is to list our favorite movies (it gets difficult when there are limits attached, let me tell you), to talk about which sequels are better than the originals (Empire Strikes Back, obviously), and to list movies that we left the theatre going, "Oh my god, that was good."
Those movies are often few and far between, but several come up each year. Whiplash, Argo, The Theory of Everything, and The Imitation Game always head my list, and it's no coincedence that they all nabbed Oscars or Oscar nominations. It's been a while since I was blown away by a film, mostly because the movies I've seen this year are either bad comedies or even worse "horror" films, but that all changed when one finally made the cut.
We need to talk about La La Land.
Anyone who knows me for even a little amount of time can figure out that I'm a huge fan of musicals. I have more than a few posters and playbills framed in my room of Broadway shows. The Fantasticks album was the first vinyl record that I ever bought. I very vividly remember seeing shows as a kid, remember singing "Seasons of Love" from Rent in choir (I know, how original), and don't even get me started on Hamilton. When I watched the initial trailer for La La Land, it's very likely that I loudly squealed and screamed to tell my mom about the movie that would be coming out. I've loved the Emma Stone- Ryan Gosling dynamic since 2011 when one of my favorite movies was released. Crazy, Stupid, Love started my love for the pair (I've loved Gosling since The Notebook, duh, and Emma Stone had been gracing the screen in some of my favorite comedies), so a movie musical, with an Old Hollywood feeling, starring the two of them was like something I could only have dreamed about. Also, Ryan Gosling singing and dancing? Yes please.
La La Land follows the lives of Sebastian (played by the always -lovable Ryan Gosling), a jazz pianist struggling to come to terms with his genre dying, and Mia (played by the inimitable Emma Stone), a struggling actress facing non-stop rejection in the movie business, as they try to be successful in Los Angeles. Both artists refuse to give up their dreams- Mia works as a barista on the Warner Bros. lot in between failed auditions while Sebastian longs to reopen a well-known jazz club (that has been turned into a "samba and tapas" joint). The pair sing and dance their way throughout the film, and the audience gets to see how they (or how they don't) deal with the stardom and success that comes their way. While the ending is not perhaps what audiences are picturing and desiring, the Casablanca and Rebel Without a Cause references being a major hint, La La Land manages to be a feat from start to finish.
The singing and dancing are great, obviously, and are the trademark of any successful and memorable musical, but the cinematography is the underlying masterpiece throughout the film. The entire movie is shot on 35 mm film, which provides more vibrant color and gives an old school Hollywood vibe. There's no blue or green screen used, which makes the film even more authentic. In one scene, with a duet between Stone and Gosling called "A Lovely Night," the backdrop is the sunset and twilight of Los Angeles, aptly referred to as the "magic hour." That term is a misnomer, when in fact it is about a period of five minutes of sunset and city lights coexisting. This scene, filmed in a single shot, undoubtedly took multiple shots to produce, but the result is lovely and contrasts with Stone's red hair and canary yellow dress. The lighting throughout the movie places the characters in vibrant glows, and the use of multi-colored lightbulbs allows the mood of the scene to change. In Mia and Sebastian's apartments, green and red lamps make appearances, which gives the film an indie vibe and almost eerie sense of unease. Everything in this movie is visually and aesthetically pleasing, and I'm not surprised to see so many gifs and stills from La La Land on Tumblr.
La La Land has been the talk of awards season, racking up an impressive amount of nominations and awards. At the Golden Globes, the film nabbed seven nominations, more than any other picture in attendance, and won all of them, setting a record for most Golden Globes won by a picture. It has also been nominated for a record-tying (with Titanic and All About Eve) number of Academy Awards with fourteen noms. These include Best Motion Picture- Musical or Comedy, Best Original Score, and Best Actor/Actress- Comedy or Musical. These triumphs further show La La Land's influence, which will without a doubt have lasting power.
In her acceptance speech for Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical at the Golden Globes, Emma Stone stated, "This is a film for dreamers." La La Land shows the all-too-real struggle that many artists face, from facing judgement from others not in their field, to receiving negative remarks, to facing rejections from superiors. The climactic song of the film, "Audition (Fools Who Dream)" encapsulates all that the movie stands for, while giving hope to the other struggling artists who are sure to be inspired by the film. The song, and the film in total, challenges the poets, painters, playwrites, and others who might be seen as "foolish" for pursuing their dreams, while showing that dedication and passion for what you believe in will ultimately work in your favor.
La La Land is a beautiful film which thoroughly details what it truly means to be an artist. Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling provide stunning and emotional performances, and the entire picture echoes with elegance and color. To the ones who dream: please go see this film. Whether you're an artist with success or an artist struggling to find your way, you will find yourself at home among the literal and musical "City of Stars."
