Gawd, I needed a film like this right now. Confession #1: I
love musicals. Confession #2: I loved this one. I felt 2 things from director, Damien Chazelle, while watching this film: a love of an era and a love of film history.
I particularly appreciated that the first trailer I saw for this movie told me
nothing! Too many trailers give away all the good parts. The second trailer I
saw made it look like an entirely different film and in a way it is two films.
It is a joyful romp of romance and youth and dreams, with a dose of hard
reality of love and sacrifice for those dreams. The color palette was dead on
in its homage to an anachronistic mid-century feel. And while this is a
musical, the numbers are sparse and integral – not an “in your face at every
turn” musical. I’ve always liked Emma Stone (local Valley girl!). She is not “pretty”
in traditional sense, but so darned appealing, and her signature singing piece
here is a show (and heart)-stopper. Ryan Gosling was fearless in song and dance
and actually learned how to play jazz for this role. That’s all I’ll say. More
in discussion.
This movie made my heart sing. The story was both familiar and fresh, Stone's and Gosling's chemistry was magical, and the music and choreography was unbeatable. Many of my friends expressed dismay or consternation over the ending; on the contrary, I thought it was profound. "Happily ever after" doesn't always look the way we think it ought to, and joy can be found even after heartbreak.
ReplyDelete(And L.A. traffic is much more tolerable in the midst of an epic flash mob!)
Said so well, Cassie. I agree completely re the ending (without too much spoiler here). It was the RIGHT ending. It was real and kept to the primary theme about the pursuit of dreams. And don't we all play the universal "what if" game? It was beautifully played. And the next time I'm at the top of the 101-60 curve, not moving, I shall fantasize. Thanks for commenting.
ReplyDeleteHi Valerie! Wonderful to get your impressions of La La Land! I must agree 100% with you and Cassie. This is a quality film. As you said, it does not hit you over the head with too much musical-itis....as does a Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers piece. Rather, the film balanced a fine story with song and dance. Apparently, Ryan Gosling is an accomplished pianist in real life, so he was ready for this role. Both actors did a fantastic job of making the story believable, even as they drifted off periodically into fantasy. The ending: Great. True to life. No spoiler, but yes, no Hollywood ending is sometimes the best kind.
ReplyDeleteGreat review, Valerie! I am not a fan of musicals, but I was I completely mesmerized by this one. Since I lived in LA, I was grateful to find a musical that captures the history and movies aura of that town -- even in a traffic jam. And the film has a message and clings to it beautifully -- thus the powerful ending. Finally, Cassie is right. The chemistry of Stone and Gosling works. Both are gifted actors, and Gosling, who learned to play piano for this role, still has me spellbound. I will see this again! (Note to David and Val -- great to see your reviews!)
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