Style over Substance

Rating: 8/10 (27 September 2017)

"Here's to the ones that dream". If there were a line that most symbolizes the theme and feeling of this movie, it would be this one. Of course, this line is delivered during the most pivotal performance and heartfelt scene of the movie, when Mia (Emma Stone) regains her dream of becoming an actress/playwright.
La La Land is meant to be a love letter to classic Hollywood cinema, with a modern-day twist to it. So much fine detail is placed into making sure this musical marks off all the boxes on the checklist; from the grand musical numbers that block the infamous LA traffic, to the countless references to classic films (Singin' In the Rain, The Girl Can't Help It, to name a couple).
The story starts off with Mia, a young girl her 20s, starry eyed and ever the dreamer. As she strolls through downtown on a lonely winter night, she comes across a well-hidden lounge, and walks in right as Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) begins to play a melody that instantly stops her in her tracks. While their first encounters are ones of repugnance, they begin to cross paths quite often, as if fate is somehow pushing them towards one another. This mutual disgust for each other quickly fades one night, as they take an unexpected stroll through the Hollywood Hills and sing and dance their way through them, with the beautiful backdrop of Los Angeles beneath them.
Photography makes much of this movie. Shot in CinemaScope, a nod to classic 50s and 60s films, the elongation of the widescreen frame, while paired with today's technology and refinement in color, creates a vibrant world for the viewer to get lost in. Take Mia's shared apartment for example. Usually attention is not given to the color of apartment rooms in the background. But as Mia and her roommates begin to sing about finding someone in the crowd, they quickly run from a bright white room, through a deep blue hallway, past striped walls, sultry yellow lighting, sending the viewer into a tailspin of colors. One can't help but notice that Mia and her friends are each in vibrant solid colored dresses, none having the same color on as the other. The sudden change from medium and close-up shots, to the shot up to a bird's eye view of the four of them dancing in a circle on the lit-up street, creates a kaleidoscope effect of color and motion.
Color is not only used to grab attention, but also a way to foreshadow events forthcoming. Right before Mia encounters Sebastian face to face for the first time, we see her walking through a dimly lit street, dark hues of blue and black surrounding her. The moment that we hear Sebastian play the first note to his piano piece, she crosses into the first sighting of red light, and her face is flushed with the red light. Red, the color of love passion, is being used here, literally to prove that love is right in front of her face.
As beautiful as this movie is, there is much more emphasis placed on style than on substance. If it were not for the vibrant colors, the use of music and dance, and the rose-colored lens placed over Hollywood, this movie would be quite a bore. The characters fall flat in comparison, with minor character development and not enough character depth. Both Mia and Sebastian follow the same plot line of having a dream, but losing hope, only to be saved by the other person. While an encouraging and heartfelt message, had we had more time to really see all the complexities of these two characters, it would have struck a stronger chord.