La La Land will always be remembered as the film that nearly got Best Picture.

Rating: 10/10 (24 February 2018)

Now, as most of you know, I dislike musicals. Randomly bursting into song is just not to my taste, at all. Then La La Land came along and I consistently read "overrated", "boring" and "snoozefest" by most amateur reviewers. After literally just watching this, I can confidently say instantaneously, La La Land is phenomenal. Oh. My. Word. I love it when I'm wrong, and I was so wrong about this. I cannot fault it. I have fallen in love with La La Land. You could say I've gone la la for it! Where to even begin!? This isn't just a musical. This is a homage to classic cinema, an endearing tribute to all those silver screen masterpieces that have moulded Hollywood to what it is today. Dive beneath the glossy surface and I found myself experiencing a story about fulfilling dreams, pursuing passions and just live life to its fullest. It evoked pure joy from me, genuine happiness. I have never smiled and teared up simultaneously to a film before, ever. Yet Damien Chazelle went and only done that. His direction was absolutely outstanding. From the gorgeous long takes to the vibrant colour usage. He deserved every award. Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling both gave magically enigmatic performances, particularly the former who mesmerised me with her solo audition performance. The choreography during the dance sequences defines classy, imitating the classic pairing of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. The soundtrack will be instantly downloaded, 'City of Stars' and 'Mia & Sebastian's Theme' were the highlights. The production, costume and sound design were all perfect. The dimming of the lights to focus on the characters felt refreshingly revelatory. Urghhh I think I'm in love. This is why I adore the medium of film. To capture the magic of a whirlwind romance in a joyous perspective. It is undoubtedly rare to watch a film in this calibre. I never thought I would say this but...La La Land gets the perfect rating. Damian Chazelle...two for two, congratulations! Keep it up.