An affectionate tribute to the Hollywood musicals of decades past

Rating: 9/10 (22 February 2017)

La La Land is a musical film written and directed by Damian Chazelle (Whiplash) and starring Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling. I'll admit musicals are a guilty pleasure of mine, but it's been a while since I last saw one that I really got into. Thankfully, La La Land has done just that, with its memorable songs and clever choreography.
In the city of Los Angeles, aspiring actress Mia Dolan (Emma Stone) meets aspiring Jazz pianist Sebastian Wilder (Ryan Gosling) and the two fall in love. Throughout the course of their relationship, the couple strive harder and harder to make something of their potential careers in the fast-paced and surreal city.
The film plays off as an affectionate tribute to the Hollywood musicals of decades past, complete with stylish dance choreography and bombastic set pieces. Also, despite its jovial tone and brightly-coloured presentation, there are plenty of bittersweet moments that prevent the film from becoming too sappy and overly sentimental. The songs were all great and they all segued perfectly into the plot. The chemistry between both Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling is fantastic. Both actors seem like they were having a blast filming their dancing and singing scenes.
I rate it 8.5/10