Dreamers in a World of Classic Spectacle

Rating: 8/10 (10 June 2017)

La La Land's opening musical number is perhaps its most incredible moment, being so catchy and beautifully filmed so as to immediately impress and engage any viewer who doesn't outright despise musicals. The amusing thing is that this scene could be cut from the film and have absolutely no impact on the story; it is purely for show, but what a show it is. This element of showiness is true for much of the film, which is certainly no insult given how impressive such a classical spectacle is in our current cinematic landscape that is almost completely devoid of such things. It's rare to see a musical released to the silver screen that isn't animated, a parody, a remake, or an adaptation. And that alone makes this film noteworthy. The fact that it is put together with tremendous talent and care also helps.
Almost every aspect of this film is executed with great flair and confidence. The cinematography is beautiful. The singing and dancing are fun, well-choreographed, and varied in style. The music in and of itself is enjoyable, and a perfect fit for the story and tone. The overall aesthetic is evocative of a colorful quasi-fairy-tale world. The characters are developed thoroughly and compellingly. The acting of the two leads is great. Romantic clichés you'd expect are present, but the strength of the overall product makes them forgivable. And the story itself is a well-crafted vehicle for all of these things to work in tandem, directed with great confidence and stylish precision, the lynchpin for it all being the classic, simple theme of pursuing one's dreams. Though admittedly if you're the type of person who is cynical about the film industry, then the constant bright-eyed Hollywood worship may get pretty grating for you.
The ending is where the movie either makes its mark or misses it, depending on your interpretation. Without going into much detail, it involves a beautifully clever musical sequence juxtaposing fantasy and reality, which I think most will agree is a highlight of the film. However, following this sequence the film ends very abruptly, which is jarring. It felt to me like it lacked the last ounce of closure needed to bring everything home, instead leaving a hollow, indecisive feeling in its wake. Perhaps this was precisely the intention, but it seemed out of place in a story that was otherwise mostly light, fun, and easy to digest.
That said, by breaking away from expectations the film is likely to make a more lasting impression on the viewer. In a way, this actually elevates the material from an objective film-making perspective as opposed to being predictable and derivative, though whether it works for you or not will largely depend on whether you come into La La Land looking for fantastical reality or realistic fantasy.