[yasr_overall_rating]
A jazz pianist falls for an aspiring actress in Los Angeles.
With very few exceptions I can honestly say musicals do not typically agree with me. No matter how hard I have tried to force myself to indulge, I just can’t. Damien Chazelle’s dreamy love story and ode to Los Angeles and a golden age of film is now part of my “very few exceptions” list. I didn’t initially know what I was getting into with “La la Land.” I don’t think it even occurred to me that it was a musical until I was assaulted by the first song. That first song developed a peculiar dread in which I feared I would have to endure kitschy little numbers for two hours. The dread subsided quickly after the first song and soon I fell in love and desperately wanted to be part of the “La La Land” universe.
“La la Land” is a classic case of boy meets girl via a brusque encounter (multiple encounters) and coyly despise one another before falling in love and the rest of the story falls in line the way you’d expect (sort of but…not really). Mia (Emma Stone) is an aspiring actress giving it her all in a city that will wear you down quick. Call backs are few and far between. Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) is a pianist with a passion for jazz and a dream to open his own jazz lounge. Life is jazz. While Mia and Sebastian bump into each other a few times early on, they officially meet at a party. Immediately recognizing that things couldn’t possibly workout romantically, due to their conflicting personalities and tastes, they decide to become friends and do date things that aren’t “dates.” But of course, no matter how they try to deny it, the bottom line is the heart wants what it wants, and they are adorable together.
Stone and Gosling have a quirky chemistry that makes the film so damn charming. They take you on a journey that lingers with nostalgia yet is cuttingly fresh and dazzling, with just a tiny drop of melancholy for good measure. They have heart and it shows. While neither are perfect singers or dancers, it just adds to the charm. It feels authentic. You quickly get wrapped up in their world and then later bemoan the fact you never thought of taking tap-dancing lessons.
This is a far cry from Chazelle’s equally brilliant but much darker film, “Whiplash.” While “Whiplash” is excellent, “La la Land” seems genius. I am truly awestruck by the film. I dare you to try and look away. It’s near impossible. The colors, costumes, and songs create a mesmerizing force that you can’t escape. And while I spoke harshly of the first musical number, and still feel it to be the weakest (all though it was impeccably choreographed), I loved all that followed. Chazelle has created something very beautiful and quaint in “La la Land.” It feels special in the same way “The Wizard of Oz” feels special, which is quite an achievement.
In theaters Friday, December 16th
