You'll Go GaGa For La La... Land.

Rating: 10/10 (17 January 2019)

A musical composed of the moments in dreams, reality, and everything in between. La Aa Land is a soul-thrilling, intensely felt, rollercoaster of emotions that even Acrophobians will enjoy a ride on. This movie is strongly structured with a soundtrack that will steal your heart, purposeful camera techniques, the subtle and realistic execution of acting, and major characterization throughout the entire film from the opening scene to the ending credits. Mia (Emma Stone), a barista with aspirations of becoming a big time movie actress, is too set in her bland reality to pursue her dreams. Sebastian (Ryan Gosling), is just the opposite. A jazz fanatic wandering his dreamworld, hoping that one day it will all be his reality. And in the meantime, unwilling to settle for any job that doesn't fit his perfect idea of starting his own jazz club. When Sebastian and Mia find each other, their first few run-ins are some what of an unpleasant nature. From road rage during a heat filled LA traffic jam to a rude encounter at a bar, childish teasing during a party is what could have been the end of their encounters. However, fate falls into play and Mia and Sebastian fall into each other.
After a long LA party, Sebastian and Mia walk to their cars together. Along a lamplit street and a sunset sky, the two share a dance and sing a duet saying that they simply have no feelings at all towards each other. It's ironic that the two sing such things in perfect harmony. And with the synchronized choreography (by Mandy Moore) the scene is portrayed with such charm that it's overwhelmingly captivating and honest. The chemistry between them is as electric as the LA city itself. It's very clear that the two complete each other, strengthening their weaknesses through the others strong suit.
The way that a movie is shot makes or breaks a film. Every angle, every movement, every frame, means something. For instance, when Mia went to Sebastian's concert, she started out close to the stage. When the music picked up into a sound that wasn't Sebastian's style, the camera (Linus Sandgren) takes on a wide angle shot and shows the crowd of strangers pushing Mia back farther away from him. This shows us that as Sebastian morphs into someone Mia can't recognize they will grow apart. Another example of why the filming is so important is when Mia and Sebastian go to the movie theater. As their hands fumble into each others for the first time, Sandgren decides on a close up shot to make it seem like that is solely the only thing you're meant to notice. However, the dialogue of the movie that plays in the background, the one no one would ever pay attention to, discreetly hints at the ending of the movie. Simply due to the shot chosen, you only subconsciously pick up on it. This is clever because you might not even understand they you knew the ending all along it until you watch it a few times through.
Being a musical, it's obvious that one of this movies key components is the score. Justin Hurwitz (La La Lands Composer), did a miraculous job at creating music that allowed the audience to connect and become invested with the characters and their performances. With three Oscar Nominations for his work in La La Land, it's clear to the ear that each musical number was deliberately written to enhance certain emotions of every individual scene. The music in this film often arise from a soft dream-like tune to a lively, upbeat, and loud one. This aids the audience in getting a sense of the reality verses the dreamworld and even gets them caught in between the two. Although nearly every song goes back and forth from soft to loud, one specific song stick out. The movies most popular song, "City Of Stars" is played many times throughout the film in different renditions. Each carry a unique mood. For instance, it's first introduction to the audience is when Ryan Gosling sings about the city all by his lonesome as he walks along a pier in the early evening. He sings the song as a hopeless romantic like Sebastian would, in a rather pensive and calming tone. Expressing that he's drifted into another dream. In the second version of the song, Ryan and Emma sing alongside each other. It's played with a more upbeat mannerism. At some points in this version, the two even giggle playfully with each other. This symbolizes that together, the stars have never looked brighter. It shows that they both have a positive outlook on life and feel that dreams are achievable. In the third version, the simplicity of Emma Stone humming the songs tune leaves the audience with a light hearted giddy feeling, almost like a daydream. It shows the effect that Sebastian has had on her. And at the end of the movie, after we've witnessed all that Mia and Sebastian have been through, the track plays once more. This time it's morphed into all the songs from the film for the big finale. This brings back all the emotions we felt at once. It overwhelms us in the best way possible, and it's an experience everyone should have. The melody of this final rendition of "City Of Stars" shifts from a hopeful and curious tone to one of remembrance. As it is played differently than its past debuts, you get a sense that it's no longer a turned page but the closing of a book.
Aside from the technical aspects of film culture such as filming, score, and acting. La La Land was enjoyable to the fullest extent. Not once was there an unintended dull moment, and it's not doubted to be one of the best films to arise in 2016. With 12 Oscar nominations and 5 winners of best actress (Emma Stone), best cinematography (Linus Sandgren), best director (Damien Chazelle), best original music score (Justin Hurtwitz), and best production of design (David Wasco), you should not worry about walking out of the theater disappointed.