Dear cast and crew of La La Land,

Before I say anything else, I must first commend you on creating one of my all-time favorite films of any genre. This is no exaggeration. I'm a fan of musicals already, but I can't think of an original musical in recent years that has gone through film instead of Broadway. Regardless, you took a genre and pushed it. While I enjoy musicals, I can't say I'm an expert on them. However, I still believe the premise of a jazz musical that is at times self-aware is very original. Plus, the effects in the movie and cinematography were stellar; unlike anything I've seen in other musicals. For this and so much else, I must applaud you.

I'd also like to take a moment to highlight Damien Chazelle, Ryan Gosling, and Emma Stone for blowing me away. I'm already quite a sappy person and I eat up romance and musicals like no tomorrow, but the writing in this movie was just on another level. I found it humorous, believable, romantic, and at times heartbreaking. Frequently I favor television over film for the longer story arcs as I find them to have higher potential for depth and believability. This was not the case in this film; I was engrossed in every action the characters made from almost the first moment. Even the cars they drive instantly made a connection with me. Mia drives a Prius, which is a modern car (poorly) driven by those who are concerned for the earth; Sebastian drives an old convertible, apparently a 1982 Buick Rivera, which sets him back in time. Mr. Gosling, I'd never watched one of your movies before and I'd only ever heard of you for being a heartthrob in The Notebook. Honestly, I thought you'd be a mediocre actor who continued to get work for having a pretty face, but I was SO wrong. Sebastian was an intriguing and unique character with clear passions and talents. He also had distinct flaws, and you did a fantastic job with the character. Also, your singing and piano playing (I assume it was you playing at least some of the time) were touching. Ms. Stone, I had the opposite story for you. I'd seen you in Zombieland, The Amazing Spider-man, and The Amazing Spider-man 2. Sure, not your most acclaimed roles probably, but I still knew you were talented. Then I saw this movie and I'm now convinced you may be a goddess. Seriously, you were nothing short of magnificent. The chemistry both of you had together was undeniable and Mia and Sebastian are one of my favorite pairings of all time.

This brings me to the part I've been trying to get over for a week. You know... everything after the "5 years later?" Well that just doesn't fly with me. I know I have no write to tell anyone how a movie should be made, especially when I wanted my happily ever after. I know happy endings can be really cliche, but that still doesn't matter to me. I've been doing a lot of thinking and research as to why the movie ended the way it did, and it now seems clear to me that the point of the movie was not about romance, but following your dreams. It just so happens that both these characters achieved their dreams, and in the process they weren't able to end up together. My friends told me that it reflects real life because we don't always get our happy endings, which is fair, but I have since formed a different opinion about this ending. If the movie truly is about following your dreams no matter what, then this ending makes sense. Maybe I was just imprinting my emotions onto the characters, but to me it didn't seem like the characters were truly happy in the end, particularly Sebastian. It isn't clear, but it doesn't appear as if Sebastian got married or had any relationship. Both characters, to me, seemed the slightest bit displeased with how things played out because they didn't have each other. If this is indeed the case, then the theme I would pull from it is more in line with "achieving your dreams isn't always worth it." What they had was love and they gave it up for material success, which in my worldview, isn't worth it. What do you have to say about the ending? What do you have to say about the movie overall?

In the end, I can't be too upset because I loved every other aspect of the movie. The music was enchanting, the characters riveting, story captivating, and the technical aspects enthralling. Congratulations on creating one of the greatest movies of all time.

Sincerely,

Jacob Smith

P.S. There better be a La La Land 2 that corrects the ending. Just saying.