Posted December 12, 2016
La La Land: The Perfect Blend of Cinematic Escapism and Authenticity
By Pleasantville High School Student Michael Bloom
On December 4, I had the privilege of attending an advanced screening of Damien Chazelle’s La La Land at the Jacob Burns Film Center. The film caught my attention earlier this year when I read that the writer and director of Whiplash was working on a new film starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone. Chazelle’s previous film was one of my favorites of 2014, but the most interesting thing about La La Land was that it was an original movie musical, a cinematic rarity in this day and age.
From the moment the camera panned down from the sun soaked sky of La La Land’s Los Angeles, I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face. The film opens on a typical LA traffic jam. The camera sweeps past the stalling cars picking up the different radio frequencies of each vehicle until it lands on one particularly upbeat tune. A driver begins to sing along and within 15 seconds everyone has left their cars and engaged in an all out song-and-dance number. What follows is a beautiful and uplifting story about holding onto love and following one’s dreams.
La La Land takes the audience through a year in the life of two young artists, Sebastian and Mia, struggling to find their footing in Hollywood. Sebastian (Gosling) is a jazz pianist whose dream is to open up his own jazz club. Unfortunately, he finds himself playing Christmas carols and 80s pop hits to stay financially afloat. Mia (Stone) aspires to become a successful actress, but fills her time between auditions in the Warner Brothers’ lot selling lattes. When the two continue to cross paths, they realize there may be something special between them.
It would be easy to say that La La Land stands above the normal love story because of the impressive musical numbers and seamless incorporation of both song and dance as means of telling the lovers’ story, but what makes this film truly special is its ability to handle the small, intimate moments. Make no mistake, the movie excels at every level, but for me Chazelle’s best work takes place in the scenes between Sebastian and Mia. Even in a musical that is as fantastical and whimsical as La La Land, the two leads manage to stay firmly grounded in reality. Their conversations and interactions are relatable and true to real world relationships, despite the fact that they take place in a movie where people can dance in a planetarium and wind up floating through space.
This dynamic is made possible by the performances of the film’s two lead actors. Gosling and Stone’s third on-screen pairing (following Crazy, Stupid, Love and Gangster Squad) reaffirms the undeniable chemistry between the two. Stone gets most of the spotlight for the big, emotional moments in La La Land, but Gosling’s understated performance is just as dynamic and captivating. Their performances make the audience care about the story of these two struggling artists, which is paramount to the film, because if you don’t buy the relationship between the two leads, you won’t believe the rest of the film. Gosling and Stone are able to bring Chazelle’s spirited script to life and magnificently captures the ups and downs throughout the first year of a relationship.
Chazelle’s film is the reason we go to the cinema. It is a way to get away from the real world for two hours, yet it is built upon a strong sense of reality. La La Land is the perfect blend of cinematic escapism and authenticity. It captures raw emotion through an exploration of the human spirit. The film will leave you humming and discussing days after you’ve left the theater.
La La Land opens at the Burns on Thursday, December 15. Tickets are on sale now.
