With such a beautiful trailer, my expectations were set high for the widely acclaimed film, La La Land. Winner of the Critics’ Choice movie for best picture, best composer, best screenplay, best director, cinematography, and more, this movie lives up to the hype. It not only met my expectations but greatly surpassed them. Damien Chazelle, the director, takes the audience on a whimsical, musical, and refreshingly emotional adventure set in modern Hollywood.

Los Angeles has never appealed to me as a city, however, this film romanticizes the rich history of the artists, the parties, and the screen. It seamlessly reimagines the golden ages of Hollywood while paralleling it with the modern struggle of breaking through in the industry. Mia, played by Emma Stone, is an aspiring actress struggling over failed auditions and rejections. Sebastian, played by Ryan Gosling, is pianist who dreams of opening his own jazz club. Their love story captures every second of your attention. The on-screen chemistry between the pair, first seen in the rom-com Crazy, Stupid, Love, is undeniable and believable. Gosling brings to life a man of oozing passion, charming good-looks, and hypnotic vocals. Stone, once again, creates a character who inspires dreamers and portrays quirkiness in a charismatic way. Their love story depicts the dance of the chase, the music of being in love, and the quiet of the hard times.

The cinematography, directed by Linus Sandgren, is outstanding. The opening scene is one of my favorites; colorful and spontaneous. This scene is filled with typical musical-esque shots such as aerial, pan, and tracking. It is a fantastic contrast with the emotions felt sitting in back-to-back LA traffic. His use of long shots in musical scenes creates a constant rhythmic movement that shows excitement and energy. He uses a spinning camera and circular movements for more fantasy heavy scenes and contrast those with still, medium shots of realistic life. This combination creates a beautiful mix of magic and realism all in one film. The thing that stood out to me the most about the cinematography was the utilization of light. Throughout the movie, the setting is enhanced by aesthetically pleasing hues of blue, green, purple, and red. This retro color scheme has the effect of a enchanting, flirty, and passionate atmosphere. All these things combined make for a story that is dancing on the edge of magical realism.

The costume design is brilliant and full of life. The main designer, Mary Zophres, carefully uses solid colors to pop when placed with the other elements in the scene. Even though it’s set in modern times, she brings back styles that are clearly vintage inspired. Mia wears bright colors such as whites, yellows, and royal blues. Sebastian has a clean-cut, classy attire that reminds me of an outfit that would be worn by famous jazz musicians.

The soundtrack is a range of slow, melodic pieces and upbeat, flowing numbers. The slower songs captivate with their waltzy, minor melodies. The low and slow movement bring out the deeper emotions of the film. The more energetic pieces capture in a completely different way. The are happy and carefree, another aspect of La La Land.

This film is an ode to every dreamer, to anyone following their passion. Stone and Gosling are triple threat actors meaning they can act, dance, and sing. This abundance of talent wrapped up in one individual pays tribute to the legendary actors such as Gene Kelly, Clark Gable, and Audrey Hepburn. These stars not only played their role, but could sing, dance and look great doing it. La La Land reprises these attributes in an enchanting, modern setting.  

Overall, I believe this is a film worth seeing and more importantly worth seeing in a theater. It was an unforgettable adventure that left me awestruck for weeks after.