La La Land

**Really a good movie, which justifies the hype around it.** Who doesn't remember “La La Land”? It was released in theaters in 2016, and was one of the most viewed and acclaimed films of that year. It was a film that was virtually carried in the lap between festivals and awards of the seventh art, and that seemed destined to clean them all up, as “Titanic” had done two decades before. When he arrived at the Oscars, he had practically nominations in almost every category where he could be included! Of the fourteen nominations, however, it collected “only” six statuettes, with the seventh – Best Film – slipping through the fingers in what was the most absolute embarrassment in the entire history of the Hollywood Academy: the infamous but historic exchange of envelopes, that we all have in our memory. But when I said “only”, it is necessary to put things in perspective: what many producers would not have given to win six Oscars in one of their films! Like it or not, it was a great achievement and "La La Land" received a well-deserved accolade that night. The film, directed by newcomer Damien Chazelle, is a worthy homage to musicals from Hollywood's golden age, and features a generally sympathetic script: an aspiring starlet trying to become an actress meets and falls in love with a purist jazz pianist. who wants to restore people's interest in the musical genre he loves, and which he feels is slowly being lost. It is their mutual passion that makes them not give up on their respective dreams, but it will also end up dictating that both follow their own paths. And indeed, the film's bittersweet and slightly too realistic ending shockingly clashes with the magic felt throughout the rest of the film. It's like having a very beautiful dream, where anything is possible with some effort and serious work, and ending up seeing that dream trampled by a heavy, raw and often unfair reality. And it must be said, although the characters seem likeable, they are selfish and only think about themselves and their interests. They seem to stick together only as long as it really benefits their individual interests. Although I don't like the characters very much, Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling offer us, in the film, two magnificent works of interpretation and also of singing and dancing. Gosling showed hidden talents on the keyboard of a piano, and both are very good at choreography, although singing is not particularly strong point for either. Both are young, and it is quite possible that they will give us even better dramatic performances in the future. The rest of the film's cast hardly matters, it's one of those movies where the main characters are so overwhelming and omnipresent that there's no room for anyone else. Technically, the film has several frankly good aspects that deserve our attention and our praise. For starters, the film's honest and intelligent way of recreating and inserting scenes and dance routines from the great musicals of the past, from “Shall We Dance” to “Singing in the Rain” and “West Side Story”. The scenarios, the elements, the routines are there. The cinematography, colorful, frank, generous with light, is magnificent and a feast for the eyes. The editing was done in an excellent and very skillful way. The scenery couldn't be better, taking advantage of the Hollywood Hills or the Griffith Observatory in the best way. The soundtrack, melodies and songs are excellent.

A fully-fledged musical of the likes we haven't seen on the big screen in decades. This move is almost perfect in every respect. It will draw a laugh, it will draw a tear and it will definitely get your foot tapping. I have to admit the reality ending crushed my enjoyment a little. I understand why the director did it but that doesn't mean I have to like it.

This movie is the best movie there will ever be, Ryan and Emma did great.

La La Land is one of those movies that feels like a warm hug. The story follows Mia, an aspiring actress, and Sebastian, a jazz musician, as they navigate love, ambition, and the messy balancing act between the two. Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone are great together, their chemistry felt natural. The music is where the film really shines. Justin Hurwitz’s score lingers with you, with “City of Stars” and “Audition (The Fools Who Dream)” being unforgettable, both haunting and uplifting in their own way. And the visuals, everything from the dreamy color palette to the sweeping camera work. That opening freeway dance number is bold, fun, and the perfect way to set the tone. What’s most striking, though, is how La La Land balances its whimsy with a dose of reality. It’s a story about chasing dreams and the sacrifices that come with it, and it doesn’t shy away from showing the heartbreak that can follow.

"Mia" (Emma Stone) is an aspiring actress who juggles a coffee shop job with countless, fruitless, auditions. "Sebastian" is a budding jazz musician who falls a bit foul of his boss (JK Simmons) when he decides to spice up some of the more mundane Christmas ditties he has to trot out on his restaurant piano and gets fired. The two meet and after a slightly rocky soon start to appreciate that they actually have more in common than they might have expected - and so off they set down their especially bumpy yellow brick road. This feature is a colourful and vibrant tribute to all things Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly with an hint of romance and one or two catchy tunes to help keep the pace bouncing along for a couple of hours. It wallows, unashamedly, in the nostalgia of the good old days and then - thanks to the likes of John Legend's "Keith" - attempts to turn it's focus to the future. Not just of this couple, but of their chosen forms of art. It's no cakewalk for the pair and that's an integral part of this enjoyable tale of their relationship and the pressures put upon it by their aspirations. Those magnetisms that fuel their affection at the start soon start to have the opposite effect as success applies unevenly between them and an happy ending is by no means a certainty. There's plenty of light-heartedness throughout and it's affection for the heyday of Hollywood is writ engagingly large as it trips along. No stunt doubles, dubbed singing, piano playing nor dancing also adds quite a bit to the charm of the pair's antics and "Another Day of Sun" and "City of Stars" show Pasek/Paul and Justin Hurwitz have their fingers on the pulse. Cheesy? Well a little, but this is still big screen entertainment cinema that I really did enjoy. Not quite sure what Ryan Gosling has to do to get an Oscar, though!