Blew me away

Rating: 10/10 (1 February 2017)

I went and saw La La land without knowing much about it (I didn't know anything tbh), and I ended up falling in love with the film. The acting is amazing, the cinematography is spectacular, but the music is the lure. It's the backbone of the film, and it's also the glue that holds it together.
The movie is a love story, not only between the two main characters, but between them and their dreams as well. They are in a constant struggle between satisfying their relationships, and the music appropriately and beautifully reflects the constant shift in emotions. Ryan Gosling's Sebastian explained it perfectly when he talked about Jazz music speaking for those who can't fully express themselves through words. That's what the music in this movie does for the audience. It supports the telling of the story.
The dancing in the film is another excellent source to show where the characters emotionally. When they're happy, the choreography is fast. During the romantic scenes, the movement is more slow and flowing. Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone were phenomenal during the dance numbers, especially when you consider that some of them had long continuous shots.
Besides the music and dance numbers, I thought the acting was incredible. Ryan Gosling is perfect at being both smug and charming, while Emma Stone can put on an entire performance without uttering a word. The expression she can convey just in the movement of her eyes and brows is nothing short of amazing.
In the end, I fell in love with this movie, and hard. The story and acting opened my heart, but the music is what warms it.