Talented director Damien Chazelle, strikes again with another visual masterpiece that people of all ages can enjoy. “La La Land”, a musical and romantic film set in modern day Hollywood, portrays the struggles of a young ambitious actress and an intelligent jazz musician who work hard to pursue their dreams while also pursuing a romantic relationship.
Freshman Mahi Purohit said, “My all-time favorite movie is ‘Whiplash’, another movie by Damien Chazelle, so I am certain that I will like this one as well.”
Mia (Emma Stone) is an aspiring actress who goes to Los Angeles to fulfill her longtime dream of making it big on stage. As Mia begins her journey, she notices that she continuously comes in contact with an attractive musician, who she finds out later to be Sebastian (Ryan Gosling). In the city known for crushing hopes and breaking hearts, the two try hard to stick by each other while making their own dreams a reality.
Stone’s ability to portray her character’s emotions are depicted most prominently in a scene at the dinner table, where Mia argues with Sebastian after he makes the decision to further his jazz career on tour. She explains to him that she is happy that he is chasing his dreams, but does not believe that it is necessary for him to travel the world with his career. After he angrily fires back that he is leaving regardless, Mia pours her feelings out and shows him that staying with her would be worth it.
This was a major emotional scene played brilliantly by Stone, which was vividly memorable because of the evident devotion she showed. Although her role highly differed from her widely known superhero film, “The Amazing Spider-Man 2”, her acting was top-notch in this new romantic film.
Sophomore Hiba Gharaibeh said “While watching Emma Stone’s performance in the movie, I could really sense her passion because every scene she was in, she elegantly blended in with Mia.”
Gosling is most known for playing Noah in the fascinating 2004 film “The Notebook”. In “La La Land”, he gets to bring out the romantic side of him again, as Sebastian does anything and everything he can to make sure Mia gets to live out her Hollywood dream. Even when she gives up, he comes back to remind her that she is not going to succeed if she does not keep trying.
Stone and Gosling previously acted alongside each other in the 2011 film “Crazy, Stupid, Love”. The pair have a longtime friendship, which massively contributes to their onscreen chemistry.
Chazelle stays true to his style and runs a lengthy 130 minute movie. Stone, Gosling, and Chazelle, along with others who took part in the movie’s production and soundtrack, won several Oscars. Chazelle received awards for Best Screenplay and Best Director, while the Best Actor and Best Actress awards were presented to Gosling and Stone, respectively.
The soundtrack to “La La Land” is very beautiful and unique. Music composer Justin Horowitz, along with Chazelle, mentored Gosling on playing his pleasant, but difficult parts of the songs on piano. Sebastian was a professional piano player, so Gosling had to learn how to be one as well.
With its catchy soundtrack and romantic vibe, this film will be sure to make its way to your heart.
Do you think it’s possible to pursue a Hollywood dream while falling in love?