La La Land: Movie Review

Two years ago, writer/director Damien Chazelle made a huge impact with his jazz inspired drama, “Whiplash”.  Considered by many as one of the best films of the year. The filmmaker’s passion for jazz music carries over to his new musical, “La La Land”, which stars Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone.  From the film’s exhilarating single-shot opening musical number set in a traffic jam on a Los Angeles freeway, you know you are in for something special.  This is a classic Hollywood musical that will remind you that they don’t make them like this anymore.

Mia (Stone) is an aspiring actress who holds down a job in a studio lot coffee shop until her career takes off.  Sebastian (Gosling) is a jazz musician who just wants to make a living playing the music that he loves. He also wants to own his own jazz club.  The first couple of times the two cross paths it doesn’t exactly go smoothly.  We already know that Mia and Seb are going to wind up falling for each other but it won’t be without its’ share of complications.

Seb soon realizes that he cannot pay the bills with traditional jazz so he hooks up with his former colleague (John Legend) and goes on tour playing pop-Jazz.  While Seb is becoming financially successful with the new band, Mia is struggling putting together her one-woman-play, which she wrote.  She also invested all her own money in renting the theater and producing the show.  Even though Seb isn’t living his dream, he does put the band ahead of everything else in his life, including Mia.

“La La Land” is filled with wonderful musical numbers and terrific chemistry between its’ two leads.  Even though it is set in modern-day Los Angeles, the film feels timeless.  It is also not over-stylized in the way modern musicals like “Moulin Rouge” and “Chicago” were.  “La La Land” feels simple and at the same time completely magical.

By: Marc Ferman