La La Land (A- or 3.5/4 stars)
Opening with a vibrant fantasy sequence of morning commuters caught in congested L.A. traffic, Damien Chazelle's romantic contemporary musical 'La La Land' chronicles love, longing, the search for purpose, & the price of following your dreams. Aspiring young actress Mia (Emma Stone) works in a cafe on the Warner Brothers' studio lot, while brooding jazz pianist Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) is fed-up with playing background music at lowly bars & restaurants (one is run by a grouchy J.K. Simmons). She has dreams of being a big star. He dreams of opening his own club where patrons can learn about and celebrate great jazz as an art form -- but those dreams seem unattainable. Our two protagonists 'meet cute' several times before they actually connect; singing & dancing to "A Lovely Night".
Broken into 5 segments (Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall, & Winter), we follow Mia & Sebastian as they fall in love & encourage each other to follow their dreams. Following a string of failed, soul-crushing auditions/call-backs, Mia writes & performs a one-woman show. Meanwhile, Sebastian sets aside his dream of opening his own jazz club (whether it's jokingly called Chicken-on-a-Stick or Seb's -- Mia's suggestion) to join a touring rock band, led by his old pal, Keith (John Legend). The demands of each character's latest trajectory leads to some long separations and, it takes a toll on their relationship as the seasons change. Everything culminates in a stirring final sequence {or Montage, if you will} in which we the audience get to see how things are, and how they might have been. Movie magic, people.
That the film opens right away in song (with a slightly campy number on L.A.'s freeway) is a big risk. It rides a fine line where audience members could be alienated by the experience. But 2 minutes in, the sequence charms and, the eventual romance settles the film into greatness. Emma Stone is wonderful, here. Her joys are uplifting; almost feeling like music, itself. Similarly, her sadness feels like a lament. Even when she breaks into song, it's rooted in reality {her "Audition" is a stunner}. Now, does she have the best voice? Nah. Is she the best dancer? No. Doesn't matter. This type of film doesn't call for operatic execution. Ryan Gosling is AS impressive. He is striking, soulful, & effortlessly oozes charm. Paired together - and with palpable chemistry - they handle the musical, comedic & dramatic beats very well. When they look into each other's eyes, embrace, kiss, or fleetingly caress fingers while watching a movie ... the sparks fly.
Writer/director Damien Chazelle (who also gave us 2014's surprising Whiplash) continues to improve & impress. While the setting is modern-day Los Angeles, the feel of 'La La Land' is decidedly old-school Hollywood. The whimsical approach, camerawork, style, Technicolor palette, & viewpoint are all right out of the 1950s -- loved that! Inspired by French New Wave classic The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, along with the likes of classics A Star Is Born, An American in Paris, Singin' in the Rain {one of my faves} & even 2011's The Artist, he transitions stylishly from naturalism into the breezy romanticism of make-believe through several song-&-dance numbers. Choreographer Mandy Moore creates magical moments, reminiscent of Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Gene Kelly & Cyd Charisse, particularly when our lovebirds glide into the sky with "City of Stars" at the famous Griffith Observatory. All of this is captured superbly by cinematographer Linus Sandgren. Nostalgic production & costume design aid the proceedings throughout.
Damien Chazelle clearly loves old Hollywood musicals, but he also loves jazz {1st evidenced in Whiplash}. A key component of the plot is Sebastian passing his love of jazz to Mia. And Sebastian's band mate Keith imparts to Sebastian the sobering notion that jazz (sometimes, not always) needs to be tweaked & modernized to reel-in the younger generation. 'La La Land' is also an ode to Los Angeles. The look & feel of that enigmatic city brings a melancholy tone to the typically bright proceedings. Chazelle is quoted as saying, "I wanted to try to present the city as something that inspires dreams & crushes them – and, maybe, re-inspires them again. The city is both villain and hero". 'La La Land' is an effervescent example of pure entertainment. But some of the effervescence is also masterfully neutered by the poignant, bittersweet central romance; which pulls at our heartstrings … and doesn't let go.
Broken into 5 segments (Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall, & Winter), we follow Mia & Sebastian as they fall in love & encourage each other to follow their dreams. Following a string of failed, soul-crushing auditions/call-backs, Mia writes & performs a one-woman show. Meanwhile, Sebastian sets aside his dream of opening his own jazz club (whether it's jokingly called Chicken-on-a-Stick or Seb's -- Mia's suggestion) to join a touring rock band, led by his old pal, Keith (John Legend). The demands of each character's latest trajectory leads to some long separations and, it takes a toll on their relationship as the seasons change. Everything culminates in a stirring final sequence {or Montage, if you will} in which we the audience get to see how things are, and how they might have been. Movie magic, people.
That the film opens right away in song (with a slightly campy number on L.A.'s freeway) is a big risk. It rides a fine line where audience members could be alienated by the experience. But 2 minutes in, the sequence charms and, the eventual romance settles the film into greatness. Emma Stone is wonderful, here. Her joys are uplifting; almost feeling like music, itself. Similarly, her sadness feels like a lament. Even when she breaks into song, it's rooted in reality {her "Audition" is a stunner}. Now, does she have the best voice? Nah. Is she the best dancer? No. Doesn't matter. This type of film doesn't call for operatic execution. Ryan Gosling is AS impressive. He is striking, soulful, & effortlessly oozes charm. Paired together - and with palpable chemistry - they handle the musical, comedic & dramatic beats very well. When they look into each other's eyes, embrace, kiss, or fleetingly caress fingers while watching a movie ... the sparks fly.
Writer/director Damien Chazelle (who also gave us 2014's surprising Whiplash) continues to improve & impress. While the setting is modern-day Los Angeles, the feel of 'La La Land' is decidedly old-school Hollywood. The whimsical approach, camerawork, style, Technicolor palette, & viewpoint are all right out of the 1950s -- loved that! Inspired by French New Wave classic The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, along with the likes of classics A Star Is Born, An American in Paris, Singin' in the Rain {one of my faves} & even 2011's The Artist, he transitions stylishly from naturalism into the breezy romanticism of make-believe through several song-&-dance numbers. Choreographer Mandy Moore creates magical moments, reminiscent of Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Gene Kelly & Cyd Charisse, particularly when our lovebirds glide into the sky with "City of Stars" at the famous Griffith Observatory. All of this is captured superbly by cinematographer Linus Sandgren. Nostalgic production & costume design aid the proceedings throughout.
Damien Chazelle clearly loves old Hollywood musicals, but he also loves jazz {1st evidenced in Whiplash}. A key component of the plot is Sebastian passing his love of jazz to Mia. And Sebastian's band mate Keith imparts to Sebastian the sobering notion that jazz (sometimes, not always) needs to be tweaked & modernized to reel-in the younger generation. 'La La Land' is also an ode to Los Angeles. The look & feel of that enigmatic city brings a melancholy tone to the typically bright proceedings. Chazelle is quoted as saying, "I wanted to try to present the city as something that inspires dreams & crushes them – and, maybe, re-inspires them again. The city is both villain and hero". 'La La Land' is an effervescent example of pure entertainment. But some of the effervescence is also masterfully neutered by the poignant, bittersweet central romance; which pulls at our heartstrings … and doesn't let go.