La La Land (2016)
La La Land is definitely one of the latter.
I didn't have any idea what to expect from this movie. I loved director Damien Chazelle's last film Whiplash because of its editing and incredibly tight pace, and I have really enjoyed what I have seen from Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone recently; however, I still had no idea what I was getting into with this film, aside from the fact that it would be good.
From the opening frames, my jaw dropped. La La Land is a film from a bygone era and harkens back to the musicals from the 1950s such as Singin' in the Rain. This is seen so easily through the direction of the musical numbers and the music itself. Every one of them is shot in what appears to be one take, in particular the opening scene and "A Lovely Night," a duet with Gosling and Stone in front of an LA sunset. The latter is a really big throwback to the song-and-dance numbers of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, and it is one of the many moments that made me giddy and absolutely head-over-heels in love with this film. The former, however, had my jaw completely dropped from its opening notes. The song, "Another Day of Sun," is filmed on the interchange between the 105 and the 110 in Los Angeles with people singing in a traffic jam on top and inside of their cars. It is absolutely breathtaking and so infectiously catchy. Every musical number in the film has been constantly running through my head in the week since I've seen it.
Beyond the musical numbers, La La Land is a technically breathtaking film as well. There were so many times I remarked out loud about a scene transition or use of lighting or other distinct film technique, and it's all due to Damien Chazelle. This guy is quickly becoming one of my favorite directors working today, and it's mostly due to his incredible filmmaking chops. While Whiplash was an incredibly tight film, La La Land tends to allow itself to dwell on moments longer and let the camera move more with less cuts. I love both styles for their individual films, but it's the fact that Chazelle can do both that impresses me. He also has a knack for being able to integrate music into his films, whether it's the instrumental jazz in Whiplash or the bigger musical numbers seen here in La La Land. This isn't a musical where the characters sing out of place; rather, every song works for the story and doesn't distract from the fact that this is a film first.
The acting in La La Land is also excellent. Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone are perfectly cast as Sebastian and Mia. They have such immediately apparent and believable chemistry that I have not seen in many films ever. Their singing is not Broadway quality, but they do well with the relatively simple material they're given. Both of them actually sing live on different occasions and kill it. Gosling's piano chops are also really solid (yes, he actually plays all of his own parts). Their romance is so believable, and it sells the entire story of this film. John Legend also shows that he can act a bit as well in his screen time, and his one song in the film is drop-dead amazing. Nobody else gets much of a chance to shine because the story is so centered on Sebastian and Mia. That being said, the ensemble makes the musical numbers work perfectly, and they do add a lot to the film as a collective.
Now, as you know, I strive to have no spoilers in any of my reviews; however, I need to briefly touch on this film's ending, and I'll try to do so without giving anything away. This is a movie that, for the most part, hits only happy notes; however, the ending really undoes this. My gut reaction was bad; however, upon further reflection, it actually makes La La Land an incredibly satisfying film. It definitely ends in an unexpected way, but that makes this a much richer and more thought-provoking film than I expected of it.
To be honest, La La Land is one of the best films I've seen. To be clear, that's not just of this year, or even this decade: that's all time. It's perfectly structured and surprising throughout, blending modern film technique with old-school jazz musical charm. The music is also stellar, being both classy and vintage while also incredibly catchy. This is one of the most endearing films you'll see all year, and for me it's just about perfect.
My recommendation: go see it on the largest screen possible and make a date night of it.
My grade: 100!!!
That's the last full review I've got planned for 2016. In the next several posts, I'll share all the other films I have seen but didn't do full reviews for from this year; after that, I've got something special to officially wrap up 2016's films.
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