Wonderful, refreshing

Rating: 8/10 (18 June 2017)

They really don't make movies like this anymore. La La Land really should have won Best Picture Oscar. Ryan Gosling was terrific as Seb, the down on his luck jazz pianist who didn't want to see his treasured music die. Emma Stone was equally terrific as the stereotypical young woman in Hollywood trying to catch that one in a million break.
This movie was great because it was refreshing to see Hollywood make fun of itself. Emma's character Mia was a jab at the shallowness of the Hollywood scene where interview after interview ignore her after a sentence of two. See Penny in the TV show Big Bang Theory for another jab at Hollywood. But Mia keeps trying, to her credit. When she meets Seb in an on-again off-again relationship, it's fun to watch. The dancing and music scenes are terrific, especially the opening famous scene played out on an LA freeway - wouldn't anyone in a big traffic jam love to have that entertainment?
But there's a story here too, and it's very well told. Don't ever give up on your dreams. Are your dreams worth sacrificing for love? What happens if you move on? Can't both people in a relationship live their dreams? Oh, the sadness and joy of success.
La La Land is a fantastic movie that you should not miss. You'll laugh, cry, and sing the songs for days and days. Enjoy.