I'm not a big fan of musicals. And was anticipating this film to be boring. But thought it would be interesting to see how the director had made this one...
Writer-director Damien Chazelle had conceived (t)his dream script back in 2010. But being unknown then, no studio wanted to risk producing his musical. And so, he took it upon himself and got people to take notice of him with the indie film, Whiplash (2014), which went on to win three Academy Awards! Phew! Now, isn't that inspiring! Finally his dream project bankrolled and here is his baby now, delivered six years later.
He certainly knew what he wanted to present on screen. I was very impressed with his last film Whiplash and the young director - he's just 31 - appears to be a great visionary. He seems to have made musicals his forte. And makes them convincingly well.
La La Land is not just a musical between a jazz pianist and an aspiring actress. And it's definitely not just a love story. It is a tribute to thousands of strugglers thronging Hollywood everyday. Every year. The audiences may extend that to any passion that they're aspiring in, not just art.
This tale of passion, as the title suggests, is set in Los Angeles, and is about two artistes, waiting to make it big. Sebastian is a passionate jazz pianist and Mia is an actress. They meet and go through their struggles together. Only to reach a stage where they are torn between love and ambition.
Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone make a perfect couple with on-screen chemistry that, as the producer Marc Platt puts it, is one for the ages. Having played lovers prior to this in films like Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011) and Gangster Squad (2013), they convincingly look like soulmates, here. Now, that chemistry was absolutely critical for this film to succeed.
I really liked the purity of their love, and how they're best friends, pushing each other to chase and realize their dreams. And also how love transforms Mia to start appreciating jazz naturally, out of pure love that she has for Sebastian.
Benz Pasek and Justin Paul have written some really beautiful lyrics, which are brought to life by Justin Hurwitz's impressive soundtrack. Hurwitz seems to have struck a great partnership with Chazelle, after working with him in "Whiplash". Looks like this collaboration between the two Harvard classmates is here to stay.
The movie itself, like the protagonist Sebastian mouths out in the film: it's conflict, and it's compromise. And it's very, very exciting... indeed! You do get infected, somewhere. With me, it happened after the first 15 minutes.
The scene between Laura and her baby brother Sebastian at his apartment is humorous and engaging. So is the reel of verbal exchange between him and his manager, when Sebastian is hired back at the dinner club. And then, there's this sequence where he pushes Mia to go for the big movie audition. And prods her about how people appreciate people that are passionate about something. I also really liked the ending.
It'd have been nicer to see more of the great actor JK Simmons, though, who plays the manager of the club Seb keeps getting hired and fired at.
John Legend is pleasing, particularly in his first experience as an actor! I specifically enjoyed this scene where he eggs on Sebastian about being a revolutionary and not holding on to the past. Not to mention the impressive number, Start a Fire.
This movie may have provided Gosling the perfect opportunity to realize his long-time desires of learning the piano and the keyboard, and he nails it! He appears to be playing the instruments himself, and perfectly so.
One of the nicest things in Chazelle's films, it seems to be, is the scope for some great acting. His last film won Simmons the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Here, in La La Land, Gosling and Stone could be vying together for the Best Actor and Best Actress Oscar trophies. The last time this had happened was back in 1997, with the lead pair of As Good As It Gets. And before that in 1991, for The Silence of the Lambs. Some history waiting to be written there, hopefully!
I did wish the screening had subtitles. I feel all films should, as one tends to miss some words or lyrics due to sound clarity issues.
The film is shot in CinemaScope to give it the fifties' look, and rightly so. The amalgamation between the classic fifties musicals and contemporary LA is classy.
Go watch it, for it again pushes you to follow your dreams, endlessly, and for the lead actors' sterling performances. Gosling reminded me of The Notebook. And Stone does not miss a single note. Just like how you can tune a guitar, but you can't tuna fish. Pun intended, that is. :D
My verdict: 4 out of 5.
Writer-director Damien Chazelle had conceived (t)his dream script back in 2010. But being unknown then, no studio wanted to risk producing his musical. And so, he took it upon himself and got people to take notice of him with the indie film, Whiplash (2014), which went on to win three Academy Awards! Phew! Now, isn't that inspiring! Finally his dream project bankrolled and here is his baby now, delivered six years later.
He certainly knew what he wanted to present on screen. I was very impressed with his last film Whiplash and the young director - he's just 31 - appears to be a great visionary. He seems to have made musicals his forte. And makes them convincingly well.
La La Land is not just a musical between a jazz pianist and an aspiring actress. And it's definitely not just a love story. It is a tribute to thousands of strugglers thronging Hollywood everyday. Every year. The audiences may extend that to any passion that they're aspiring in, not just art.
This tale of passion, as the title suggests, is set in Los Angeles, and is about two artistes, waiting to make it big. Sebastian is a passionate jazz pianist and Mia is an actress. They meet and go through their struggles together. Only to reach a stage where they are torn between love and ambition.
Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone make a perfect couple with on-screen chemistry that, as the producer Marc Platt puts it, is one for the ages. Having played lovers prior to this in films like Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011) and Gangster Squad (2013), they convincingly look like soulmates, here. Now, that chemistry was absolutely critical for this film to succeed.
I really liked the purity of their love, and how they're best friends, pushing each other to chase and realize their dreams. And also how love transforms Mia to start appreciating jazz naturally, out of pure love that she has for Sebastian.
Benz Pasek and Justin Paul have written some really beautiful lyrics, which are brought to life by Justin Hurwitz's impressive soundtrack. Hurwitz seems to have struck a great partnership with Chazelle, after working with him in "Whiplash". Looks like this collaboration between the two Harvard classmates is here to stay.
The movie itself, like the protagonist Sebastian mouths out in the film: it's conflict, and it's compromise. And it's very, very exciting... indeed! You do get infected, somewhere. With me, it happened after the first 15 minutes.
The scene between Laura and her baby brother Sebastian at his apartment is humorous and engaging. So is the reel of verbal exchange between him and his manager, when Sebastian is hired back at the dinner club. And then, there's this sequence where he pushes Mia to go for the big movie audition. And prods her about how people appreciate people that are passionate about something. I also really liked the ending.
It'd have been nicer to see more of the great actor JK Simmons, though, who plays the manager of the club Seb keeps getting hired and fired at.
John Legend is pleasing, particularly in his first experience as an actor! I specifically enjoyed this scene where he eggs on Sebastian about being a revolutionary and not holding on to the past. Not to mention the impressive number, Start a Fire.
This movie may have provided Gosling the perfect opportunity to realize his long-time desires of learning the piano and the keyboard, and he nails it! He appears to be playing the instruments himself, and perfectly so.
One of the nicest things in Chazelle's films, it seems to be, is the scope for some great acting. His last film won Simmons the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Here, in La La Land, Gosling and Stone could be vying together for the Best Actor and Best Actress Oscar trophies. The last time this had happened was back in 1997, with the lead pair of As Good As It Gets. And before that in 1991, for The Silence of the Lambs. Some history waiting to be written there, hopefully!
I did wish the screening had subtitles. I feel all films should, as one tends to miss some words or lyrics due to sound clarity issues.
The film is shot in CinemaScope to give it the fifties' look, and rightly so. The amalgamation between the classic fifties musicals and contemporary LA is classy.
Go watch it, for it again pushes you to follow your dreams, endlessly, and for the lead actors' sterling performances. Gosling reminded me of The Notebook. And Stone does not miss a single note. Just like how you can tune a guitar, but you can't tuna fish. Pun intended, that is. :D
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