(Some possible spoilers!)
If you haven’t already…drop everything and anything you’re doing, and go to a movie theater to see La La Land. I’ve seen it twice so far, and I could see it a million more. Today I told someone, “I don’t care if it’s cliché to love this film, I can’t get over it!” I can’t. And, even if I could, I wouldn’t. This isn't a review of any sort, it's just me rambling on about a beautiful story currently haunting me in all of the best ways. Go see it! Here’s why:
- It felt so wonderful to sit through a film without being bombarded by sex, nudity, violence, a plethora of curse words, and a shallow plot. Really. With each minute, with every song, the momentum and the purity of the story kept building with such richness.
- Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) and Mia (Emma Stone) are tangible characters. In spite of this being a Hollywood-made film about Hollywood, there is such a normalcy to both characters. They have passions and failures. Time isn't in their favor, and life in Hollywood isn't easy. They must learn to find themselves rather than losing sight of the dreams that root them, and they wrestle with decisions that lead toward different avenues. Writing a relatable character is one thing, and finding a face that resonates with an audience rather than isolating it is a whole other battle. Even at the end—in spite of any success—Mia and Sebastian remain authentic.
- La La Land paints Los Angeles in cotton candy colored pastels (and, with a dance sequence, it even makes dead stop traffic look fun)…Yet, the story balances the glitz of Hollywood with the reality of inevitable hardships that accompany the pursuit of a dream. The film is honest – it hides the grit of the city, without painting a perfect picture. And, it shows the tireless reality of rejection, while still maintaining the crazy one-in-a-million chance of a dream coming true.
- Toward the end of the film, Mia sings a song/story for an audition, and it actually brings tears to my eyes. The song is called “Audition (The Fools Who Dream),” and it feels like life in a nutshell for anyone relentlessly chasing a dream. I listen to it on repeat as a small piece of affirmation for why I’m in this city and industry. Also, storytelling is just so good in just about any form, song included.
- A lot of work went into this film, and it shows. If anything, see it for the story, but also see it for the sake of experiencing the fruits of a well crafted and intentional production. I’m no expert as to how movies are made, but I believe people when I overhear them discussing this film and claiming that movies just aren’t made like this anymore. It completely pulls the audience in from the first musical number, and it continues to bring the audience along on a journey illustrated by dreamlike sets and colors, and defined by the raw emotions of the characters.
- Film is magic, and a great film is more than magic – so go experience a great film. It’ll fill you up with goodness, make you laugh, make you cry, make you think, and make you savor story.
...and after you've seen it, talk to me because I can talk about it for pages and hours!
(The trailer can be found here.)
