La La Land is a 2016 American musical romantic drama film written and directed by Damien Chazelle. Being an Oscar friendly musical, it’s no surprise the film won five Oscars and was nominated for nine. The film is about a jazz pianist, Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) and an aspiring actress Mia (Emma Stone) pursuing their own respective dreams. But as they are faced with increasingly difficult decisions, their intimate balance between their love and dreams threatens to fall apart.
First, let’s start with the concept and creativity, one aspect many would say it naturally borrows from many other old musicals such as An American in Paris (1951), The Sound of Music (1965) and Singin' in the Rain (1952). The first scene of being stuck in traffic is a throwback to Federico Fellini’s 8 ½ (1963) and the final fantasy sequence was almost identical to An American in Paris’ ending. Even after the final fantasy sequence, the film collects undeniable inspiration from Casablanca (1942), where both couples speak volumes through looks that wish things were different. Furthermore, Casablanca is mentioned many times before; Mia sleeps under a gigantic Ingrid Bergman poster, and Mia points to a window in which both Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman look out of in Casablanca. Although I somewhat agree with that La La Land stole from many old movies, my view of La La Land is that it allows us to reimagine the Hollywood classics that were popular in the mid 20th century. Although the film was supposed to take place in present day, the way the characters dress is almost as if from the late 1900s. This creates a classic type of feel, which I imagine Chazelle intended, supporting that idea of re-imagining the Hollywood classics.
Next is cinematography and direction. Close to flawless. From the opening scene to the epilogue, the visuals are masterful and dazzling. La La Land uses many techniques that reflect older musicals (like I mentioned above) such as the spotlight and the cross dissolve. Chazelle also engages us with his uncut, moving camera, like we’re actually there. Not only was the cinematography stunning, but the choreography was “moore” than perfection. Mandy Moore, the choreographer, intended for the characters during the dance scenes to look like they were doing ordinary everyday things. This was essential for the audience to become fully immersed into the dance scenes, almost forgetting the fact that this is supposed to be a musical. With such an ambitious first scene, there was no doubt that La La Land would take home the Best Cinematography Oscar. (and it did)
Acting is just as important. The love between Gosling and Stone absolutely captivating because of their strong chemistry, which plays a vital role in creating an ideal couple. Stone’s acting performance scored an Oscar for the movie and her singing was almost just as impressive. Unfortunately, Gosling’s performance was not as outstanding and took away from the upbeat atmosphere the movie carried. Although I have to give him credit for learning the piano in such a short amount of time, his playing seemed strained and his singing was subpar.
Finally, the screenplay. Since this is a musical, we can divide the screenplay into two parts, the actual script, and the song lyrics. The script on its own wasn’t long; as most of the movie was communicating with visuals. But with such little words, Chazelle still created an emotionally empowering film. Likewise, the song lyrics use subtle foreshadowing. Justin Horowitz’s “Someone in the Crowd” mirrors Mia, as she was just someone in the crowd of actors. Furthermore, the movie’s core song, “Mia and Sebastian’s Theme”, is written in a major key, which carries a brighter tone. However, the song includes dissonances, which can represent regret and longing, and uses the repetitive melody to sound melancholic, which adds to the anguish. Perhaps this is over analyzing human nature, much like saying love is simply a chemical reaction that occurs in your brain. Instead, let’s just leave it at “the music sounds good”.
B+
First, let’s start with the concept and creativity, one aspect many would say it naturally borrows from many other old musicals such as An American in Paris (1951), The Sound of Music (1965) and Singin' in the Rain (1952). The first scene of being stuck in traffic is a throwback to Federico Fellini’s 8 ½ (1963) and the final fantasy sequence was almost identical to An American in Paris’ ending. Even after the final fantasy sequence, the film collects undeniable inspiration from Casablanca (1942), where both couples speak volumes through looks that wish things were different. Furthermore, Casablanca is mentioned many times before; Mia sleeps under a gigantic Ingrid Bergman poster, and Mia points to a window in which both Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman look out of in Casablanca. Although I somewhat agree with that La La Land stole from many old movies, my view of La La Land is that it allows us to reimagine the Hollywood classics that were popular in the mid 20th century. Although the film was supposed to take place in present day, the way the characters dress is almost as if from the late 1900s. This creates a classic type of feel, which I imagine Chazelle intended, supporting that idea of re-imagining the Hollywood classics.
Next is cinematography and direction. Close to flawless. From the opening scene to the epilogue, the visuals are masterful and dazzling. La La Land uses many techniques that reflect older musicals (like I mentioned above) such as the spotlight and the cross dissolve. Chazelle also engages us with his uncut, moving camera, like we’re actually there. Not only was the cinematography stunning, but the choreography was “moore” than perfection. Mandy Moore, the choreographer, intended for the characters during the dance scenes to look like they were doing ordinary everyday things. This was essential for the audience to become fully immersed into the dance scenes, almost forgetting the fact that this is supposed to be a musical. With such an ambitious first scene, there was no doubt that La La Land would take home the Best Cinematography Oscar. (and it did)
Acting is just as important. The love between Gosling and Stone absolutely captivating because of their strong chemistry, which plays a vital role in creating an ideal couple. Stone’s acting performance scored an Oscar for the movie and her singing was almost just as impressive. Unfortunately, Gosling’s performance was not as outstanding and took away from the upbeat atmosphere the movie carried. Although I have to give him credit for learning the piano in such a short amount of time, his playing seemed strained and his singing was subpar.
Finally, the screenplay. Since this is a musical, we can divide the screenplay into two parts, the actual script, and the song lyrics. The script on its own wasn’t long; as most of the movie was communicating with visuals. But with such little words, Chazelle still created an emotionally empowering film. Likewise, the song lyrics use subtle foreshadowing. Justin Horowitz’s “Someone in the Crowd” mirrors Mia, as she was just someone in the crowd of actors. Furthermore, the movie’s core song, “Mia and Sebastian’s Theme”, is written in a major key, which carries a brighter tone. However, the song includes dissonances, which can represent regret and longing, and uses the repetitive melody to sound melancholic, which adds to the anguish. Perhaps this is over analyzing human nature, much like saying love is simply a chemical reaction that occurs in your brain. Instead, let’s just leave it at “the music sounds good”.
B+