La La Land

No snazzy title today, just the pure, unfiltered finality of a truly heartbreaking look into modern relationships. If you know me in real life, you’d know how obsessed I am with this film, and how tormented I am by it. It provides me with such joy and love that I feel like I could go outside and take on the whole world in pursuit of my life’s goals. But then the last 20 minutes hit and it slowly becomes a tragedy that makes me want to curl up into a ball and cry until the end of time.

Where to begin? Let’s start with the director, Damien Chazelle. A talented filmmaker fresh off the heels of a complex take on obsession in Whiplash; decides to create an homage to classic musicals that showcases his love for Hollywood and his disdain for it. His voice echoes through every single frame of the film, constantly highlighting the toxic nature of the industry and what you would sacrifice for your passion. He presents us with a film that questions the capability of managing your personal life with a life in show business and how impossible it is to have both.

Both Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone give career best performances here. They each bring a layer of depth to their characters where you can understand their motivations within the first few minutes of them being on screen. They are both so different in their likes and their goals but find themselves drawn to eachother because of those differences. The chemistry between them is electric and you spend so much time getting invested in this love story, seeing their lives grow together and want nothing but the best for them. They do such a terrific job together that you feel the loss when they are eventually apart, the longing for a life together that they will never have. The final shot of the film reflecting on the whole journey, mourning what could have been but accepting what is, all through a single look. It’s actually incredible that they can convey so much by doing so little, truly cementing them as one of the best pairings in cinema history.

I’d be foolish not to comment on the soundtrack as well.

This film really digs back into the classic hollywood musicals, with each song not only reflecting the characters at that given moment but also channelling the tone of the film throughout. Every song has a purpose, whether its to show the chaotic nature of LA or the slow building connection between the characters or the tragic nature of the relationship itself. Every single one is important to ensure the film works, it would not work in any way, shape or form without this soundtrack and I applaud Justin Hurwitz for creating such a masterful composition. The film also uses old camera techniques and effective location shooting to create sequences that are absolutely gorgeous to watch. The sun rising over LA, the pair of them dancing into the sky and even a traffic jam. The colour, the visuals, the choreography, the camera work, everything works together in perfect harmony to create a film that makes you feel like you are there with them, it takes you away to LA and keeps you comfortably there until you want to rip yourself away.

Overall, this film is, in my opinion, a modern masterpiece. Damien Chazelle created something that is truly special in today’s cinema landscape. He created something that reminds us how to feel, how to work, and how to love, but most importantly, how to live.

He challenges our ideas of a life and gives you an ideal to strive towards, a connection you long for.

10/10