Here's to the ones who dream
Foolish as they may seem.

When I sat down to watch Chazelle's La La Land, a film I have been eagerly anticipating like no other this year from its first trailer, I wasn't entirely sure what I was getting into. I just finished my fifth semester of college and it's beginning to dawn on me how utterly terrified I am to step out into the real world.

I've been slowly, gravitationally pulled into pre-law, really only by my own doing, but I've come to realize that nothing really makes me feel fulfilled quite like cinema. So, I'm sort of trapped. I'm a film minor, justice and peace major, being yanked in two vastly dissimilar directions.

So, along comes this joyous, utterly gorgeous, technicolor-hued film that, from frame one, carved a smile - you know, one of those smiles that's so wide it hurts - across my face. This is a movie that made me want to jump for joy like no other film I've ever experienced. But, this is also a movie that spoke to me so precisely, I'm not just sure that this is my favorite film of the year, I'm also sure that this is one of my favorite films period.

When Mia croons, "Here's to the ones who dream/Foolish as they may seem..." it was like Chazelle had taken the spotlight and swung it from Mia, through the screen, and right on to me. I cry a lot during movies - mostly from cheap deaths and manipulative disease plots - but this was the first time I've ever cried during a movie out of joy. Chazelle opened up a path - or, rather, made me no longer blind to the path's existence. And, I can't truly express how grateful I am for it.

But, this movie isn't just wonderful because it speaks to me so precisely. It's also a brilliantly crafted musical. The music is phenomenal, but if you've watched even one of the trailers, you already know that. What makes La La Land so spectacular is that it knows that it is a film first and foremost; and so, it communicates everything through visuals. When Mia and Sebastian meet, Mia is cast in eye-popping blues and Sebastian in vivid reds. This scheme persists, and as they grow closer to each other, the colors begin to mingle. Sebastian and Mia switch colors and, eventually, Sebastian's car turns to purple and so do Mia's flowing dresses. By leaning on his costumes and lighting, Chazelle is able to not only free up the dialogue from clunky exposition, but he's also able to communicate emotions and information as any good film should - through visuals.

I may have some slight problems with some of the visual effects, but I can't recommend this film enough. There are certain films that make me regret my lax rating scheme for how totally incredible they are. La La Land is one of those films. I give it a 5/5.