In the modern world, cinema is often dominated by big budget blockbusters with a focus on action set pieces, often at the expense of the plot or narrative. 'La La Land', however, is a refreshing change from that formula. Obviously after seeing it make a near clean sweep at the 'Oscars' (excluding the Best Picture debacle), I was expecting big things and I'm glad to say my expectations were met and even exceeded, as 'La La Land' is a beautiful film.
The plot is initially that of a classic romantic story. Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) is a jazz pianist playing in dingy gigs and house parties trying to collect enough money to achieve his dream of opening his own jazz club. Mia (Emma Stone) is an aspiring actress who's stuck serving coffee to movie stars and auditioning for tv advertisements. The two meet and connect over their admiration for each other's desires and passions and inevitably fall in love. Yet, the film is so much more than a love story. It features devotion, sacrifice, betrayal. Can they ever hope to achieve their dreams or will their affection for one another prevent them ever fulfilling their ambitions. It's certainly more complex than your average rom-com, in particular the bitter-sweet ending that is contrasted brilliantly to the up-beat and lively tone of the song and dance that comes before it.
Almost everything about this movie is beautiful. It's beautifully acted, sang and shot. Gosling and Stone are fantastic in their roles. Gosling is this extremely likeable underdog who's hell bent on achieving his dream no matter who tells him he can't, and Stone is in many ways the perfect partner for him - just as ambitious, but also more conscious of the obstacles in her way. This makes it all the more satisfying to see her learn from Seb, to believe in herself and disregard everyone else, which then again pays off as she teaches him the same lesson that he taught her when she notices his dream is slipping away for her sake. The two have a great dynamic and their performances are pretty much faultless. I wasn't 100% sold on Gosling's singing throughout - not that he was in any way bad, it just felt more obvious that his voice had be altered in editing, at least in comparison to Stone who sounded much more natural. However, 'City of Stars' which is primarily sung by Gosling is gorgeous and from what I can tell all of his piano scenes were actually played by himself which more than excuses his vocals.
In fact all of the music throughout is fantastic. A quality soundtrack with a seamless blend of original songs and classic jazz (which like Mia I'm not the biggest fan of) but its beautifully sung and played throughout so I can't complain. John Legend's cameo is welcome, and he puts in a decent acting performance as well as showcasing his musical talents. And the music in woven into the script perfectly. From the very first scene you can tell that the musical set pieces are going to be near spotless, particularly the dances between the leads. Again, from what I saw, their routines are all either one take or have been edited so well that its impossible to tell if they aren't, which either way is very impressive. The choreography is stunning too.
As well as having excellent vocals and dancing, the film looks stunning. Amazing locations and backdrops to the routines. Also, this movie is extremely vibrant and colourful. The opening scene looks as though the performers were involved in an explosion at a paint factory. Such an array of rich blues, reds and yellows that still some how feels grounded and realistic - you feel like you might see someone wearing those colours in LA. In addition, the colours, songs and dances are a perfect homage to the classic romantic musicals of old. 'Casablanca' is mentioned by name, and whilst this film gets nowhere near the heights of that masterpiece, its a great tribute to a seemingly forgotten genre of film, whilst still being a fantastic movie in its own right.
Despite being fully aware that admitting it will lose me a serious amount of 'man-points', I love musicals and 'La La Land' is a brilliant example of that. If you're not a fan of musicals, or romance in general then this film definitely isn't for you. Yet, regardless of the genre, I feel anyone should be able to appreciate the skill and artistic vision that went into this film. Great performances, choreography and music throughout. In my opinion, 'La La Land' is more than worthy of all the awards that in won. A truly beautiful film.
5/5 Stars
