Winning 144 out of 214 nominations for a multitude of different awards, "La La Land" has been a phenomenal hit right out of the gate. After receiving 7 nominees at the Golden Globe Awards, I was skeptical of just how good this romantic comedy musical drama actually was, but after seeing it– twice– let me tell you... it's amazing. Please, don't take my word for it, and go see it on the big screen before it leaves theaters.
First of all, who knew that Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone are so musically inclined? They gave wonderful performances which included dancing and singing beautiful songs written by the very talented Justin Hurwitz. My absolute favorite track is "City of Stars," featured 3 separate times on the film's soundtrack. Emma Stone gives a beautiful performance of her title track, "Audition (The Fools Who Dream)." Also, John Legend has a great featured track, "Start a Fire," which he performs on screen, as he is a supporting character. The opening musical number, "Another Day Of Sun" is so catchy, I've been humming it for a week.
My favorite aspect of "La La Land," besides the score, is that it was shot on film, not digitally, in order to recreate the CinemaScope look. The film's plot is centered around jazz and rising stars, so this classic, retro theme works extremely well for evoking nostalgia from the audience. Bold, vibrant colors are featured in practically every shot; they mimic the characters' states of mind as they struggle to pursue their L.A. dreams. I'm a sucker for cinematic screencaps, and this film is full of beautiful scenes.
And of course, I love the romantic storyline. Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone fit their roles perfectly as they have an amazing on-screen chemistry. I'm so jealous of Emma Stone.
There are times when the film is laugh-out-loud funny, and there are scenes in which you could cry along with the character on screen. "La La Land" evokes emotions from its audience ranging from bliss to heartbreak which in my opinion is what makes it so great. Being that "Rebel Without A Cause" is one of my favorite films, I loved how "La La Land" seamlessly weaved it into the plot. The main characters even take a trip to the famous planetarium!
Even if you aren't a fan of musicals, I believe that "La La Land" can still be appreciated for its multitude of other wonderful aspects. I've seen "La La Land" twice in the theater, and I plan to buy it upon release because it literally is that good. This film deserves all of the awards it has won thus far, and I hope to see more from its writer and director, Damien Chazelle, in the future.