Great at first watch but...

Rating: 7/10 (27 September 2017)

La La Land is well made cinematographic experience that really leaves a great first impression, the main characters Mia (Emma Stone) and Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) are likable, quirky, individuals who are down on their luck but striving to make their dreams reality. Both characters have big aspirations but not a whole lot of direction as throughout the movie they struggle to make their dreams a reality all while dealing with the issues that come along with having a relationship. The story also moves fairly quickly and is good at making the audience connect with the characters emotions which allows you to get easily invested in the characters and the movie's plot.
The film also does a very good job at using lighting and color during specific conflicts to make them seem more intense. (Spoiler Warning) There is a scene in the film where Mia and Sebastian get into a fight which ultimately destabilizes their relationship to the point where they end up separating not too long afterwards. The scene itself though is very smartly set up, the two main characters are eating dinner together by candle-light so the room isn't brightly lit but the yellow-ish light from the candles blends very well with the lighter green that the room is colored. Yellow and green are analogous colors which tend to make people feel very relaxed and comfortable so a few minutes into the scene when Mia and Sebastian's argument ensues and escalates quickly it comes as a bit of an emotional shock as your initial impression of the scene would make you think that it would be a bit more melancholy than it turns out to be.
Now while this movie does leave a great first impression, it falls flat on any subsequent views. The first time I watched this film it was very emotional and I loved the characters, the dancing, the music, everything in the film made me love it.
However when I watched it a second time with a friend, everything fell flat, like really flat. The story then felt extremely rushed and cliché as well as there are so many characters that are introduced just to be thrown away a few scenes later. An example of which would be Mia's roommates who seem important when introduced only to disappear after the first 15 minutes only to return briefly for 2 more scenes much later in the film.
Not only this but some of the character conflicts also felt pointless as they did not contribute to the plot or felt like they felt forced just so the plot could actually progress. Also much of the musical score felt really forgettable outside of the opening piece "Another Day of Sun" and the piece with John Legend "We Can Start a Fire".
All-in-all the film is a great experience, just don't expect to enjoy it the same way if you end of seeing it a second time.