La La Land: What a Hollywood FIlm Should Be

Rating: 10/10 (22 January 2017)

Music and movies seem to go hand in hand, and lately, that's been obvious. The last few years have opened the door to many great music related films: Amy, Miles Ahead, Straight Outta Compton, Love & Mercy, etc. But you know what hasn't been popular? Musicals. What was once the most popular genre in cinema rarely enters the public consciousness today. The last major musical release (excluding Disney cartoons) was Les Miserables, and that still polarizes audiences to this day. And then this film came out. La La Land feels like it was tailor made for me. A classic Hollywood musical with traditional sets, big choreographed numbers, bright colors, and throw in some love of Davis-era jazz? It feels like a dream. Thankfully, the film didn't let me down. I enjoyed every minute of it. I loved the homages to classic Golden Age films like Rebel Without A Cause and Singin' In The Rain, and Stone and Gosling were a delight to watch. My one issue would have to be that I feel like they didn't use certain scenes to their full potential. The Observatory space dance and Gosling's number on the pier could've gone on a bit longer. The space dance could've been grand and beautiful, but it instead felt very short and made me wanting more. Still, it's hard not to praise a film like this. It was beautiful, fun, and an all around great experience.