Life-Affirming Artistic Masterpiece Awaits Awards

Rating: 10/10 (9 February 2017)

Damien Chazelle dazzled with Whiplash (2014). Pace, acting, music, struggle and storytelling sure hit. He had toyed with the musical idea when at Harvard with low budget and black & white Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench (2009). He now delivers beyond any expectations.
An Oscar-tying record of 14 nominations and rave reviews if just a reflection of how good this is. More than all that this movie is a collection of transporting feelings: freedom, love, passion, infatuation, nostalgia. It explores dreams, hopes, fears, sacrifices and reality. It has gorgeous and appropriate fantastic elements that add layers instead of detract from the story. Like Titanic (1997), although a different beast all together, I cried, I laughed, I smiled and was transported.
Ryan Gosling and especially Emma Stone sell ever detail with their extraordinary skills and dedication. They are often spell-binding. An on-screen chemistry and crafted from an assured writing and directing vision that take us places movies have never taken us before. The best Musical since Moulin Rouge! (2001) fifteen years ago with added cool choreography and gusto.
Cold Fish (2010) was the last movie that blew my mind in such a graphic, edge of the seat, emotional, artistic, fantastic and physical way. It also had a theme of planetarium and stars. I am so glad I saw this in theatres too and in IMAX with incredible image and sound.
Talking about sound and music, Justin Hurwitz gets 3 Oscar nods for his score and two songs: quirky City of Stars and adorable Audition (The Fools Who Dream). Audition is a tour de force visual and visceral scene from Stone and bittersweet song. Hurtitz should come home with one or likely two statuettes after been looked over in Whiplash (2014). The Jazz in both films is magical, but here there are other elements of music (even to the choice of 80s pop music in the mix) and there is the explanation of jazz origins and essence that enhances the music as art and is contrasted with John Legend radio-friendly record-selling reality which books tours and pays bills.
Sharp (C-sharp?) Chazelle deserves his two Oscars but has though competition in both writing and directing including the return of writer/director Kenneth Lonergan after bar-raising You Can Count on Me (2000) and Margaret (2011). Canadian Denis Villeneuve's Arrival (2016) which is nominated for 8 Oscars and 9 BAFTAs is also a contender although not my personal favourite film of his.
The only assured Oscar win would be Tom Cross for Editing who won for Whiplash (2014) and put every beautiful detail of Damien in a dizzying and delicate succession, but I predict La La Land could sweep the Oscars. I guess it could get from 10-13 Oscars potentially beating the 11 wins tree-way tie of epic Ben-Hur (1959), Titanic (1997) and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003). It won 7 out of 7 Golden Globes and should win a fair share of its 11 BAFTA Awards nominations this Sunday. Wishing it long life and success. Hard to beat something that steals your breath and hard beat for 2 hours like this.
Not just a movie experience, a revelation! Rejoice, live, love, sing and dance...
L.A. Hollywood - La La Land is the best Hollywood film of the decade or maybe the millennium...