"La La Land" is a MUST SEE!!

   

   The buzz surrounding La La Land has been palpable and infectious. From the trailers I found myself interested, but the insane amount of positive feedback and whispers of possible golden statues in its future placed La La Land from a "I'll get around to seeing it" level to a "I've got to just see this thing already!" state of mind. I'm literally forty-five minutes removed from seeing the movie as I type this and I've got to say right off the bat that this movie is fantastic. I didn't want it to end, and when it did, the bubbling brew of emotions in the cauldron of my soul cried out for more! (A bit over the top? Deal with it. It's that good!). As a love letter to Hollywood, old-time film-making, and the power of a musical, La La Land will sweep you off your feet, place you gently down while caressing and tugging at every emotional string your body entails.

   Writer/director Damien Chazelle, a mere rookie in the world of feature films, has delivered an irresistibly original musical dram-edy that serves up real laughs, tears, and delight for every movie-goer. His first feature film Whiplash (which you can read my review of here) was an amazing film which garnished an Oscar nomination for Best Picture and a winner in J.K. Simmons who took home the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his work in the movie. So the guy had an amazing first film, big whoop right? With up and coming directors, for me at least, it's their follow up or sophomore films that truly tell the mettle they have as a filmmaker, because they now have to deal with the fact that audiences and critics can now base judgment on past work. Chazelle hit a home run with Whiplash and is two-for-two in my book with his back-to-back home run in La La Land. This guy is someone to watch in the future. Chazelle proves once more to have this maturity in his craft, while being one of the youngest working directors to date.

   The story of La La Land is simple. Mia Dolan (Emma Stone) is an aspiring actress who slaves away serving coffee to film stars on the Warner Bros. lot. She is a spunky character, equally adorable as she is emotional. Sebastian Wilder (Ryan Gosling) is a jazz pianist forced to stoop to the levels of cheap jingles and holiday carols in order to make ends meet. The lack of opportunity to share his craft and save jazz music is swallowed up in the suppressive grip of real life issues. The two meet and fall in love. They are disgustingly adorable, with everything going for them. Their bubbly love oozes over every thing they do, with only their dreams of success to threaten their bliss. Stone and Gosling have shared the screen before as co-stars and they just spew chemistry all over the screen. You believe they are a couple and that reality serves to ground the story. Together, sharing scenes, dance numbers and duets, they almost embody stars of old. We don't see movies like this one any more, mainly because there isn't a filmmaker with the balls to do it, nor is there really a set of actors willing and able to throw off the mainstream and dive into the magic of the musical. Sure there have been hosts of remakes and what not, but when was the last truly successful original musical? Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling nail every scene, land every dance number, and sing more beautifully that I had ever anticipated. Let's not forget Gosling's impeccable dedication to the piano. He does all of his own playing at he comes off as a natural. The acting overall is well done, but without powerhouse leads that can hold it down, you're dead in the water. Not the case here.

   The cinematography is so beautiful. The movie really captures the essence of Los Angeles and that magical feel that Hollywood holds. From the opening number set in LA traffic, to the heart-tugging ending number, the movie is full of technical wonders that almost makes you not want to blink. Chazelle uses a lot of long takes, especially during musical numbers. He does this to establish a few things, mainly that the actors are indeed doing everything you see on screen. Almost every dance number is shot in one take. There is some minor editing during various numbers where Gosling is playing the piano, but for the most part they are time-consuming takes that move seamlessly with the actions on screen, really allowing you to immerse yourself in it. The music is SO good! The whimsical score and original songs heighten the film's level of originality. From start to finish this movie does not disappoint, and I cannot recommend it enough.