For the Dreamers

Rating: 10/10 (20 December 2016)

There are two things that can really win me over in a movie; great music and a great ending. La La Land has both, and then some.
Coming off of Whiplash, one of the best films of 2014, the pressure was on Damien Chazelle to come up with something to top what he did previously. Not only did he co-write 13 Cloverfield Lane earlier this year, but he finally got to direct his passion project, La La Land. In fact, the very plot of the film echoes Chazelle's relentless devotion to getting this film made all these years. And for the most part, the result is magical. Surely, there's nothing like it you will see this year.
Like many classic musicals of the 40's and 50's, La La Land's narrative tends to wander into dreamy and surreal territories, but it's at its best when it is simply telling the story of two ambitious artists in Los Angeles, one a jazz musician and the other an aspiring actress. I think Chazelle's vision would have been fine with other actors, but there's no question that a ton of credit has to go to Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone. Their chemistry bolsters this story, and really, is why I cared so much about these characters. Both of them will be nominated and both of them deserve to be. Their relationship through triumphs and struggles, may be the best romance of the year.
La La Land is one of those movies that doesn't really hit you until the car ride home, or even a few days after. Sometimes the wandering plot and the inconsistent presence of musical numbers is frustrating, but it all leads to one satisfying ending. So much so that I significantly upped my score because of how hard the ending hit me. It isn't predictable or easy, in fact, because the ending wasn't what I originally hoped, made me enjoy it even more. The final few shots gave me a whole movie's worth of emotion, and it made it worth it in the end.
This is clearly a tribute to the musicals of the golden age of Hollywood and also a constant reminder at the brilliance of Jazz music, but I found the touching romance and struggle of these two artists to be the most rewarding aspect to La La Land. The beautiful score and equally subtle and swashbuckling songs contribute to one epic theater experience. I'm still processing how I feel about the film as a whole, but I'm certainly pleased that I saw it.
+Stone & Gosling chemistry
+Music
+Unpredictable
+Satisfying ending
-Middle act wanders
10/10