The stuff that dreams are made of...

Rating: 10/10 (26 February 2017)

"La La Land" is the kind of movie that you can't help but fall in love with for the sheer energy that oozes out of every frame, every note and every second its on the screen. It really puts you into an inexplicable kind of trance, you become completely lost in its lust and aesthetic beauty. Director Damien Chazelle, already the youngest winner of the Best Director Award in the history of the Golden Globes, may very well accomplish the same feat tomorrow at the Oscars.
The premise of the film is simple: A jazz pianist falls for an aspiring actress in Los Angeles. We've heard it before, but what "La La Land" actually creates with a rather hackneyed plot line is anything but unoriginal. In fact, Chazelle deserves a ton of credit for creating a completely original musical, one that bursts with toe-tappingly poetic songs and melodies that will be entrenched in people's mind for a long time. He even pays homage to the more classic films of the Hollywood Golden Age by showing us alternate endings (many films of that era were known to film two endings) but how Chazelle masterfuly juxtaposes the fiction to reality merits an Oscar alone.
Aside from the incredible acting, cinematography and writing, one thing I must comment on about "La La Land" is the beautiful jazz score. This soundtrack is near close to perfect, especially for those that adore jazz. It perfectly encapsulates all those idealist thoughts people have when daydreaming about cities like LA or NYC. Have you ever listened to jazz music and, to quote fellow IMDb user ElMaruecan82, just felt nostalgic over a time you weren't even born in? Like "La La Land", Jazz has all the elements that pulls you in as a viewer: it has melody, it has harmony, it has rhythm, but most of all, it has soul. And boy, does this film have soul. It's energy is relentless and simply undeniable.
Coupled with the beautiful musical score and exceptionally well written songs ("City of Stars", in particular, is enchanting) is first-rate acting by Gosling and Stone. Gosling can really do so many roles but where I find him most effective is in his minimalism - he's really one of few actors who can show so much with so little. His subtlety and nuances create such depth and mystery in a character like Sebastien you could find yourself spending hours pondering over what he is merely thinking. Stone was great as well, seemingly effortless in her ability to project a charm and likability. Together, their chemistry was electric; they really just looked like they were having a great time out there (for anyone who says they couldn't dance/sing well).
Honestly, I could go on for days about the magic of this film and this likely won't be the final copy of this review for reasons of continuing to think over and re-phrase my thoughts of the film; I get what people are saying about how the film finds a way to stick in your head. Case in point, "La La Land" is the stuff that dreams are made of. And whether you're part of the group that despises the film or not, one can't deny the elegance, style and melodic magic the film possesses, and the ability it has to totally immerse you in all its jazzy glory; and isn't that, by some measure, what any film really aspires to do?