Intro to Film Class Online Review

Rating: 10/10 (27 September 2017)

I have never seen La La Land before, but I had heard mixed reviews. After finally seeing it almost a year late, I must express that La La Land exceeded my expectations and literally blew me away. The main female lead Mia played by the brilliant Emma Stone, works at a coffee shop on a movie set in LA dreaming of landing a role in Hollywood someday. The male lead Sebastian played by Ryan Gosling dreams of owning a jazz club, trying to make sure jazz will not die with the older generation. They set out on their dreams together while being romantically involved. The story of Mia and Sebastians adventures teaches us that you're never too old to chase your dreams, and that giving up when you fail is not an option. Overall, I thought the plot was pretty basic and cliché, however the chemistry between Stone and Gosling was memorable. The determination of the characters trying to chase their dreams gave the audience a heartfelt story and definitely was an all around "feel good" movie. La La Land is a modern spin off of our favorite classical musicals Singin' in the Rain, Casa Blanca, and many others. As a musical theatre enthusiast, I enjoyed the filmmakers choices to make La La Land an "ode to the originals". Connecting to classic musical films spoke to younger generations in a way to show them that the "oldies" shaped modern musical theatre into what it is today. The production design for the movie was absolutely brilliant. The use of vibrant colors through costumes and lighting brought the story to life. The main color choices of red, yellow, and blue grabbed the audience's attention and made each scene stunning. The choreography in each dance number was lyrical and stylized, again brought the story to life. It made it seem as if I wasn't in class watching the film, I was actually there. Much credit given to the choreographer for putting on the most memorable dance number of the film, the opening scene "Another day of Sun". The accuracy of synchronization made the number exciting, upbeat, and concrete. Overall, I was very impressed with the film. I thought the plot was good, the songs were classical, and the colors were vibrant. Would definitely recommend to anyone who enjoys musical theatre.