A Hollywood Romance

Rating: 9/10 (14 February 2017)

Why was "La La Land" nominated for 14 Oscars, tying the most noms ever? It invokes the fantasies and feelings of many past musicals and numerous film romances. From its opening scene, I found myself noticing the nods to other films because of story or style, including "Fame", "Dirty Dancing", "Moulin Rouge", "The Way We Were". "Invitation to the Dance", "An American in Paris", "Funny Face", "A Star is Born", "A Chorus Line", and especially "One From the Heart"--Coppola's musical in-studio masterpiece of camera techniques.
It is easy to understand its popularity in Hollywood. Its views on acting as a profession are very relatable for actors.
Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone play the romantic leads and are credible singers and dancers. Gosling even plays the keyboards for his part.
Mandy Moore ("So You Think You Can Dance") provides the choreography, including duets for the two stars that are reminiscent of Astaire's work.
Gosling plays a jazz musician, so the film's soundtrack has a jazz-infused sensibility that reminded me of Swing Out Sister's "Breakout". Two of the songs written by the Hurwitz/Pasek & Paul team are nominated for Oscars. One won the Golden Globe, though personally I prefer the other.
Will "La La Land" win all 14 nominations? No, but it has a shot at as many as 9. For those who love romantic films, well-made, it is a joy to experience. The ending of the film provides a surprise twist that expounds on the film's conception of life (and love) as cinematic experience.