A masterpiece in technical qualities, breaking new ground with its tragic story while simultaneously being a love letter to years past musicals

Rating: 10/10 (4 January 2020)

A masterpiece in editing, cinematography, sound design, composition, and production design La La Land is a timeless showcase from director Damien Chazelle at his best, breaking new ground with its tragic story while simultaneously being a love letter to years past musicals led by Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling.
The technical qualities of La La Land are superlative. Damien Chazelle expertly crafts the choreography with the editing and sound design. The song and dance numbers throughout the film, especially during the opening at the road interchange, are flawlessly directed. Employing long continuous shots do not distract from the singing and dance sequences. In terms of cinematography, shooting the movie on film rather than digital, and using the widescreen CinemaScope aspect ratio gives La La Land a classical look. Low-light photography in select scenes reflects each character's emotional state. The cinematography is contrasted by brightly lit scenes which further reflects the ambitious and high-minded themes of the movie. Every technical quality fits and transitions so perfectly and fluidly that it heightens the audience's connection to the characters. La La Land is such a beautiful looking movie, deserving of every technical award it receives, best experienced personally.
Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling are once again dynamite and electric as an on-screen couple from their previous roles in Crazy, Stupid, Love and Gangster Squad. Built on the back of their performances, La La Land could never succeed as a romance film without the two protagonist's chemistry. Instead of looking like speaking rehearsed lines, Stone and Gosling convey a sense of genuine love and likability as their characters undergo development.
Stone plays Mia Dolan, a barista aspiring to be an actress. Gosling plays Sebastian Wilder, a pianist with a passion for jazz. Their life and ambitions are intertwined in Los Angeles. Mia continues to audition for roles, without success. Sebastian somehow achieves stardom and financial stability when his former classmate Keith, played by John Legend, offered him to be the pianist of his jazz fusion band. The part requires him to be on tour for months or years, away from Mia. His commitment leads to a fight against Mia when she protested his acceptance of the role, which is against his musical philosophy. Earlier suffering an embarrassing performance due to low attendance, leading to the inability to pay back the theater, and Sebastian's absence, Mia breaks up with him, moving back to Boulder City to continue her studies and abandon acting altogether. Receiving a call for an audition, Sebastian travels to Boulder City to inform Mia who returns to Los Angeles. After the audition, both confess their love, but uncertain of the future. In the boldest move of the movie, 5 years are skipped. Mia is a successful actress and married to another actor, while Sebastian now owns a jazz club. Going out for a dinner with her husband, Mia inadvertently stumbles to Sebastian's jazz club, aptly named Seb, her original idea during their love life. Noticing Mia among the audience, Sebastian plays their song and a dream sequence occurs of what might have been. Before exiting the club, Sebastian and Mia share a smile as the movie ends.
La La Land speaks to everyone's burning desire for glory. However, do we achieve our dreams by ending our relationships with loved ones? Do we sacrifice people with whom we have an emotional attachment to achieve our ambitions? On the surface, the movie ended with both protagonists parting ways but closer inspection reveals that despite ultimately leading diverging lives, Mia and Sebastian retain their love and that it was anchored not by physical attraction but by mutual respect and the desire to see each other succeed. The overarching theme of La La Land, then, is not about the common physical attraction, but ideals of dreams and ambitions. Driven by a character-heavy emphasis, the movie allows the themes to resonate emotionally by the time the credits roll. Damien Chazelle delivers a musical masterpiece with modern sensibilities.
10/10