La La Land Review

4.5 Stars

 

As big and daunting as Los Angeles is, it's also a relatively small town, especially if you're trying to get into show business.  Mia (Emma Stone) is one of those many hopefuls.  She's working at a coffee shop on the Warner Brothers studio lot, giving the actors who are doing what she longs to do their caffeine fix.  Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) is another hopeful, also currently scraping the bottom of the barrel.  To keep the roof over his head in his dumpy apartment and to pay what bills he can, which isn't many, he plays jazz at any club that will have him.  Mia and Sebastian first meet in the notorious LA traffic.  She is holding up traffic going over lines for an audition, he is stuck behind her.  He passes her with a glare, she responds with another unfriendly, but definitely Los Angelan gesture.  Their paths cross again later that evening after a party that Mia's roommates encourage her to attend after a bad audition.  She leaves on her own, walking home after her car was towed and hears Sebastian playing at a club she passes.  She walks in just in time to see him get fired for not sticking to the Christmas set list.  She tries to compliment him, but he brushes right by her.  Months  later at an 80s party, Mia gets some revenge as Sebastian is performing with an 80s tribute band.  They end up leaving together in search of their cars and start a wonderful song and dance duet a la Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. 

After a number of close calls and missed opportunities in La La Land both professionally and personally, Sebastian encourages Mia to write her own show.  She agrees, though terrified of failure, and writes a one-woman show she will also perform.  All Sebastian wants is to own his own jazz club, but he doesn't have the money, so he reluctantly takes a gig with a fellow musician.  The group is very successful, but it's not the type of jazz Sebastian wants to play and it's keeping him apart from Mia.  With glimpses of romance with each other and opportunities for success in the dog-eat-dog world of entertainment, the two must make some tough decisions about what they really want out of life.  Ultimately, they both decide what is most important to each of them and they live happily ever after . . .  though, not quite how you might assume.

La La Land was written and directed by Damien Chazelle who recently shot into the spotlight with his critically acclaimed writing and directing achievement with Whiplash.  While both deal with music, La La Land is completely different than his dark and torturous Whiplash.  If Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, Judy Garland, or Fred Astaire were still making musicals today, La La Land would be their product.  They don't make movies like this anymore, but hopefully the will after this.  We've seen episodes of How I Met Your Mother, Psych, Scrubs, Family Guy and even South Park pay homage to the art of yesterdecade.  We've also seen musicals revitalized with Mama Mia!, Moulin Rouge, Rock of Ages, and Jersey Boys.  But a musical set today with the feel of the 50's is long overdue and it's been worth the wait as La La Land  combines traditional old school movie sets mixed with some of the modern movie special effects that they couldn't even imagine in Singin' in the Rain or Grease.

Gosling and Stone lit up the screen in the preview, coming across as the perfect kids you're rooting for, both in their pursuits of their passions and in their blooming romance.  They delivered as did La La Land.  If you like any of the movies I've named, just watching the preview probably made you smile with anticipation.  It just cleaned up at the Golden Globes with wins for Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Musical or Comedy, Best Director, Best Original Score and Best Screenplay.  I gave La La Land a very hopeful 4 Star prediction but I'm boosting it up to 4.5 Stars.  It was nearly perfect.  Gosling and Stone are a perfect match in their wit, comedic timing, sincerity, romance, singing and dancing.  If this is the first of many more modern day musicals to come, then we are in for a real treat.  If this doesn't spark more of its kind, it would be a shame, but we were blessed with this rare gem and I'll be adding it to my collection for sure.  So, what movie will be on my mind next?  We shall see.