Review of La La Land (2016) by Jdiaz — 12 Mar 2017

I sat next to an 87 year old man. After the first scene, he clapped and said "wow!".

During the audition scene he started crying like a baby and as soon as it ended he took off his round glasses and wiped off the tears with his sleeve.

As soon as the movie ended, he clapped along with everyone else and he shouted "Bravo! Bravo! BRAVO!!!".

He then said,"I haven't seen anything like that in a very long time. The music, the girl, everything!".

The first thing I need to say is that everything I write will be an understatement. This movie is better than anything I could possiblely put into words.

The second thing I need to say is that you need to watch this movie.

Justin Hurwitz is a musical genius. And this film is a musical masterpiece. Someone said they were getting tired of Chazelle's boner for jazz. Well, if every movie Chazelle does is as powerful and driven as this and Whiplash, I will never get tired of his massive boner for jazz.

Hurwitz sets the tone using music in a way I have not seen since Lord of the Rings. He develops themes subtly when you least expect them and then blasts them into your face to trigger a serious emotional response. The first two songs, Another Day of Sun and Someone in the Crowd, meld together throughout the rest of the movie in a way that they become almost indistinguishable. Audition's theme is subtly hinted at when Mia is talking about her childhood, so you already heard the kernel of it when she starts singing it. Finally, the epilogue blends together every piece of music masterfully and all the themes, all the emotions come gushing out. The fact that Chazelle and Hurwitz came up with the idea for the movie together is what allows most of this to happen. The bond between what you are seeing and what you are hearing is so intrinsic that it becomes overpowering.

Best soundtrack of the decade by far.