Review of La La Land (2016) by Cheonkwon P — 22 Apr 2018

Music and Love; Cliché? Yes, But They Are Going to Engross Your Attention.

In early 20 century, people thought jazz is the devil's music. Jazz is attractive, powerful and beautiful, which is going to grab your heart from the beginning and the end, so is La La Land. La La Land, released in 2016, directed by Damien Chazelle, is a beautiful love story with fantastic music and dancing, as known as a musical movie. If you are looking for a movie that is going to make you captivated, La La Land is the best movie for you.

Damien Chazelle is a famous director for music related movie. Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench, Grand Piano and Whiplash are his previous work before La La Land. Because Whiplash got numerous awards from Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role to Best Achievement in Film Editing, I thought La La Land will follow the same structure of story, such as talent, practice, passion, etc. However, La La Land is totally different style of a movie. Compared to previous movies, La La Land more focuses on plot. I want to say that Damien Chazelle's music related movies are the best no matter what structure he uses.

La La Land has everything that a successful movie requires, good story and acting. Mia and Sebastian had dreams, a jazz musician and an actor. They supported each other's dream. Love and dream, aren't they cliché? But cliché works perfect with perfect music.

At a scene that Mia and Sebastian meet again at Seb's, a jazz bar Sebastian runs, Sebastian plays a song named epilogue and imagines the future, what if we were still together. They look each other before Mia leaves Seb's, and this scene has the best acting in this movie. Sebastian slowly smiles and Mia responds to it with smile, too. Ryan Gosling's gentle and subtle smile was so perfect that my heart started crying. They showed that they respect and support each other's present, which was used be just a dream, through their smiles. Isn't this beautiful? Amazing acting astonished me, but music in the movie also surprised me and let me enjoy whole movie.

La La Land has plot like a music. It starts with very strong, bright and impressive songs Another Day of Sun and Someone in the Crowd like an addictive intro of pop music. Dancing and colorful clothes of the actors do not allow you to be distracted. However, since Mia (Emma Stone) and Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) is getting known each other better after the party, the movie tells people that the main story starts now. Songs, from A Lovely Night to Summer Montage, kept me focusing on the movie. Tap dancing by two main characters at A Lovely Night scene was also great as the song. The movie does not stop at a happy love story. City of Stars, Set A Fire, Engagement Party and Audition (The Fool Who Dream) show the main point of the movie, contradiction between dream and reality, Mia and Sebastian. Climax and resolution of the story is the future that Sebastian draws via Epilogue, the future if Mia and Sebastian would not break up. This well-made songs and plot are one of the best part of the movie.

If you want to watch a happy-ending movie, La La Land may not a movie you are looking for. But, if you are looking for well-made musical music, La La Land will give you unforgettable experience. A well written story directed by a music movie expert, great acting by Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, fantastic songs from singing to background, and even lovely and romantic California where the movie is taken are not going to let you down.