To be a painter, dancer, actor, or really anything in the arts, you need to be a little crazy. It’s an uphill battle against rejection and doubt, only a fraction of people make it and an even smaller number achieve the level of fame many people dream of. Needless to say, the odds are stacked against you.
However, artists also have a different yet essential trait: passion. To get back up after something continuously knocks you down again and again means that to succeed you must truly believe in what you are doing, and also that you’re nuts.
La La Land, written and directed by Damien Chazelle, is a celebration of the artists with the desire to make their dreams come true. Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling play an aspiring actress and struggling musician respectively who start up a relationship in Los Angeles as they both work to achieve their dreams. For Stone, that is being a successful actress while Gosling wishes to open up his own jazz club.
First of all, hats off to Chazelle who now has his second hit movie after 2014’s Whiplash. This film more than likely wouldn’t work if it wasn’t a passion project for the person behind it. It’s evident that Chazelle crafts each shot and sequence with love and care and that he’s a true fan of music.
While described as a musical, La La Land is honestly more of an homage to classic Hollywood musicals than truly being one on its own. There is plenty of singing and dancing but the story is more focused on its plot than dazzling with its musical numbers. That’s not to say the musical bits are lacking, far from it actually, especially with it’s opening number on a crowded LA freeway.
While much of the credit goes to Chazelle, Gosling and Stone are what make the film work. Both are so enormously charming and likable it’s almost impossible not to enjoy watching them together. It’s unfair that Gosling is as talented as he is, especially when you find out he learned and performed the majority of his character’s piano pieces for the role. Stone is fantastic, but it’s obvious singing and dancing isn’t her strength. When the role calls for her to really perform though, there are few actresses better at portraying sympathetic characters than her.
Those expecting a true musical may be a little disappointed, but anyone looking for a love letter to the artists that continue to try is in for a treat. La La Land truly captures the experience of those who dare to dream while providing a magical bit of entertainment.
Final rating: 4.5/5
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