Let The Music Play

Rating: 9/10 (27 December 2016)

(RATING: ☆☆☆☆½ out of 5)
THIS FILM IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
IN BRIEF: An enchanting modern day love story set to music.
GRADE: A-
SYNOPSIS: Set in modern day LA, two dreamers sing, dance, and fall in love.
JIM'S REVIEW: Who says they don't make movies like they use to? Damien Chazelle's La La Land restores one's fate in the creative process and modern day filmmaking. A daring and thrilling project, the film is a simple boy meets girl tale, set in Tinseltown, that harks back to the kind of musical that MGM would churn out regularly in days of yore. This homage to the old Hollywood musical is simply a class act all the way. (And boy, do we need it now!)
They meet cute, these star-crossed lovers, caught in a traffic jam, one that begins our story with such skill and exuberance. This unexpected opening dance number efficiently sets the right tone for the film mixing realism with musical fantasy. (Special kudos to Mandy Moore's spellbinding choreography. Her opening number, Another Day of Sun, is a stunner and the camera angles swoop and spin with such fluidity, as do the dancers. Jacques Demy's The Young Girls from Rochefort is its direct inspiration...and there will be other musical salutes throughout the film.)
Of course, we know the two will eventually get together against all odds, singing their way into your heart. Mia (Emma Stone), an out-of-work actress, and Sebastian (Ryan Gosling), a jazz pianist, have destiny guiding their every move (and fortunately Mr. Chazelle doing the same).
The songs by Justin Hurwitz and lyricists Benj Pasek and Justin Paul are clever, moving, and highly memorable. They bring with them the necessary range of emotion that advance the plot so effortlessly: bittersweet moments, love and heartbreak, dreamy romance. (The haunting love theme, City of Stars, and Ms. Stone's 11 o'clock number, The Audition (The Fools Who Dream), are two unforgettable highlights, as is the closing number, a pastiche that tips its hat to such films as An American in Paris, Casablanca, Roman Holiday, and Singin' in the Rain. Yes, this is a movie that will cause one to swoon.
The screenplay, also by Mr. Chazelle, takes our two lovers on a journey that confronts life's on- going question about love, relationships, and art. It literally sweeps you off your feet and send you into space with a sense of giddy nostalgia and joyous surprise. Yes, the plot is paper thin. Some of the musical numbers seem forced and do not blend with the reality surrounding our lovers. Yet, the overall effect is still captivating.
The core to the movies' success or failure is firmly in control due to the performances of the two lead actors. Both Ms. Stone and Mr. Gosling have shown that they have a strong chemistry together in other films, but here, it is so crucial to the film that we buy into their romance. (Some may not. I did totally. Call me a romantic.) While Ms. Stone's and Mr. Gosling's musical talents are limited and rarely come near the superior footwork of Astaire, Rogers, Charisse, or Kelly, the two actors are more than competent and quite charming in their roles. They compensate with their strong dramatic acting choices that impress and emotionally involve the movie-going audience.
Mr. Chazelle stages his scenes with flair and style. He transitions from dramatic scenes into musical numbers with ease. The physical production dazzles with its Technicolor dreamscape of pulsating candy-colored hues. Linus Sandren's cinematography is gorgeous and the production design by David Waco uses the old time movie sets to create the artificial world of movie musicals. (I particularly loved A Lovely Night, a tribute to the Dancing in the Dark sequence from The Bandwagon, complete with lamppost.)
La La Land honors the lavish Hollywood musicals of the past, those rare breed of movies that became extinct as moviegoers' tastes changed. Let us hope this film brings about a renaissance of sorts. La La Land is a film about love and made with love. It is a exhilarating cinematic experience not to be missed!