dir. Damien Chazelle
When films are made that
yearn for or try to replicate the filmic stylings of the past, they can either
be well intentioned but hollow copies of better films like “The Artist” or well
detailed recreations of films of a particular era like David O. Russell’s love
letter to the films of the 1970s, “American Hustle”. “La La Land” shatters both
these conventions and presents a vibrant old school musical that is brimming
with colorful originality and that touch of detail that will appease both
lovers of cinema and general audiences looking for something unique in today’s
sequel/reboot/superhero saturated cinematic marketplace.
Set in Hollywood, We follow Mia and Sebastian both of
whom are trying to fulfill their dreams. Mia wants to be an actress and
Sebastian wants to own and run his own jazz club. Their initial meetup is
classic “I’m not into you” brashness which eventually evolves into love with
song, dance, jazz and movies. As their relationship grows and matures, they
have a hard time balancing the floating colorful bliss of their dreams and the
hard duotone concrete of reality.
Without the stellar songs and score, this could’ve been
just another forgetful romance but the original music along with Emma Stone and
Ryan Gosling’s perfect, irresistible chemistry, the bright and flash filled
cinematography, and the director’s nods to classic cinema make this nothing
that this generation’s audiences have seen before especially when it comes to
original musicals (not Broadway or stage based) made for the silver screen.
Some will undoubtedly (and unfairly) call this “Oscar
bait” but “La La Land” is more than just a critics delight or awards contender.
It’s a reflection of what people need now more than ever, colorful escapist
dreams that we can all relate to and take us away from our stresses and worries
for two hours and some change. That alone should earn it at least a few awards.
Rating: 5/5 Reels
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