A Cinematic Painting

Rating: 9/10 (31 December 2016)

There's always 2 or 3 movies a year that are considered "amazing", "10/10", or "perfect", but it ends up being just really good or average, but not perfect? Well that doesn't apply to 'La La Land'!
I drove 30 minutes out of town to catch this at a theater since it was the closest place showing it near me in the state, and it was beyond worth it. Admittedly, I wasn't completely sold during the first 4 minutes, even though it was perfectly filmed and choreographed. But once this film takes off into the story line and characters' lives, I fell completely in love. Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling have amazing, believable chemistry (obviously). They're able to play off each other so well and make their characters feel very authentic, and they're more than up for the task of dancing, singing, and having great timing with the hilarious jokes that make this the most enjoyable experience all year for me. Also, Emma Stone hasn't been better. She's the stronger of the two, with being able to cross the line between determined and desperate for a career that you almost couldn't tell if it wasn't for the way her eyes water and seem as if they have their own hands trying to reach for success. And her performance of "Dreamers" is one of the best movie musical performances ever since Anne Hathaway's "I Dreamed a Dream".
Damien Chazelle, the director, created his masterpiece; and this is only his third film, after Whiplash (which I honestly wasn't a big fan of). But this time, him and his team gave birth to a vibrant, precise, and endlessly fun movie that's able to show the struggle of wanting to follow your passion, paired with the best camera work ever and great music. He's able to breathe life into jazz and the movie musical, while saying they were never dead in the first place. Everything in this film jumps off of the screen and fills you with joy. Needless to say, Chazelle and Ryan Gosling's next film together about Neil Armstrong in space already has me excited, seeing how the the space scene in this movie killed me and brought me to life at the same time.
I could say about 3 paragraphs more, but I'll shut up. Long story short, 'La La Land' is everything it's made out to be and more. It's definitely 1 of 2 of my top favorite movies of the year and I'm glad this was the last one I saw in a theater in 2016. Please go and watch this if you can!