Remarkable! One of the best experiences I've had in theaters this year

Rating: 10/10 (26 November 2016)

"La La Land" has the exuberance of "West Side Story," the willpower of "Dreamgirls" and the pizazz of "Grease"s romance. Writer/director Damien Chazelle who rocked our world with "Whiplash" a couple of years ago, has done it again. Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone are a movie match made in musical heaven. I seriously cannot find a single false note with "La La Land."
The story is about Mia (Emma Stone) who is an aspiring actress, struggling from one audition to the next, her daytime job is working at a coffee shop in a studio lot where she can be near her dream. Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) is a dedicated jazz musician struggling to make ends meet, dreaming of someday running his own jazz club. Mia and Sebastian meet and fall for each other, but they live in a city known for crushing hopes and breaking hearts. Together they continue to explore the joy and pain of pursuing their dreams.
Damien Chazelle has found a way to reignite our love for Los Angeles the way "Rebel Without a Cause" did decades ago, in fact, much of "La La Land" is more or less of an homage to that James Dean classic. The colors, the look, the design, the tone, even though it's set in present day, the characters could've easily been transported from a golden age era. What an ambitious production, Chazelle's crew even literally reserved a whole freeway just for their opening scene and trust me when I say that that scene must've been worth the traffic because it's absolutely spectacular. The songs, the music, the choreography are flawless, they're on point, they're upbeat, they take you up to cloud nine. And when the rejections roll in and the characters hit rock bottom and Ryan Gosling melodiously sings his "City Of Stars" song, it's so tender, it becomes your only desired remedy.
Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone had worked together before on "Gangster Squad" so you can sense that these two actors feel very comfortable in each other's company. The level of trust between them is evident. It must be like returning to a familiar place. One sequence stands out where they dance at the Griffith Park and they're so in sync, you start to wonder how many takes did it take for them to get that down pat. What's even more impressive is their abilities to play instruments and sing, even if you don't like musical, the minute you watch "La La Land," you'll stand up and cheer because the things that Gosling and Stone do will blow your mind. "La La Land" is original, it's remarkable, it's one of the best experiences I've had in theaters this year. With this film, Chazelle has established himself as one of the greatest storytellers of our time. And the themes hit home. Pursuing your dreams does come with a cost, because it all comes down to whether or not you're willing to give it all you've got. It's so much easier to just play it safe and do regular 9 to 5 job like everybody else. Pursuing your dreams is risky, self-doubt gets to haunt you every step of the way, and failure lurks around the corner. But what's wonderful about "La La Land" is that it points out the importance of having someone that believes IN you, just like the way Mia and Sebastian believe in each other, the world be damned.
-- Rama's Screen --