This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.
charlie_made_me’s review published on Letterboxd:
This review may contain spoilers.
I watched this masterpiece for the fourth time. (I know I didn't log it for my 2nd and 3rd watch). This is now my favorite movie of all time, which is big because ever since I joined Letterboxd, The Dark Knight has been my favorite movie. I took notes on this watch. I also decided to make a really long, probably spoiler-filled review on this rewatch and one of the things in it was ranking the songs as well as talking about the meanings of the songs' lyrics. I figured I'd do them together. So here's my ranking for the songs (only the ones with lyrics, but Mia and Sebastian's theme is amazing):
6. Audition (The Fools Who Dream): I like this song, I like all of La La Land's songs, but personally, I find this one to be the least enjoyable. The meaning behind it is fairly simple to understand. She starts by telling a story and it evolves into an amazing song about dreams and ambition and creative, talented people who put everything on the line to try to follow their dreams. I give this song a rating of 7.4/10.
5. Someone in The Crowd: This one used to be my least favorite, but after listening to the La La Land soundtrack a bunch on Spotify, this one really grew on me. The scene is also super well made with one-shot cinematography, great choreography, and an amazing color palette. This song gives us some backstory on Mia and tells us about her dream to be a famous actress. Rating: 8.2/10
4. Start A Fire: This song is LEGENDary (get it because of John Legend) It's fun and super upbeat, but definitely not jazz. Between this song and Chazelle's amazing direction, the scene does a great job of immersing you and making you feel like you were in the concert. This song doesn't really mean much which I think is kinda the point. I think Damien Chazelle wanted to show that Kieth doesn't really believe in something like saving jazz, and really only cares about money and popularity. Rating: 8.5/10
3. Another Day of Sun: Amazing opening scene. I've seen a video talking about the choreography in this scene and it's super impressive. So is the camerawork as it's only 3 shots in the whole scene with 2 hidden cuts. I love the song and it gives a great start to the feel of the movie. This one is actually more meaningful than people think it is. I think it pretty much tells the whole story of La La Land in the song with lyrics like "It called me to be on that screen and live inside each scene" which I think references Mia's desire to be a famous actress. The lyrics also contain "I hear 'em every day, The rhythms in the canyons, That'll never fade away, The ballads in the barrooms, Left by those who came before, They say 'you gotta want it more', So I bang on every door" I believe this references Sebastian listening to music and trying to become a famous musician himself. Finally, the most important part of the lyrics, "He'll see my face and think of how he used to know me" refers to the ending of the movie. Rating: 9.3/10
2. City Of Stars: This originally was my favorite La La Land song. The one song where Mia and Sebastian confess their love for each other and admit that their dreams "have finally come true". Rating: 9.6/10
1. A Lovely Night: Perfect in every way. Amazing dancing from the lamp post, which I think is a nod to Singin' in the Rain, to the bench. The view of the sky in the background is stunning and Sebastian and Mia have great, colorful outfits. It's an unlove song. The opposite of a love song. Just an absolute genius idea. Mia and Sebastian said they wouldn't fall in love. Rating: 10/10
The music isn't the only amazing part of this movie. The cinematography, especially during the pool scene, the Someone in The Crowd scene, and the scene where Mia is dancing while Sebastian is playing the piano (WHIP PANS!), is one of the best I've seen in a movie. The color palette is tied for my favorite in a movie with Grand Budapest Hotel. The acting is great.
Now I'm gonna go into details I noticed. I loved the parallel of the beginning when the woman, who seems to be a celebrity, is offered coffee on the house but insists on paying and when Mia does the same thing towards the end. I thought it was a great detail when, in the montage of Someone in the Crowd, a man approaches Mia but she rejects him and walks away. I think this shows why she likes Sebastian. He doesn't just try out and get her. He talks and listens to her. In the restaurant scene where Sebastian plays jazz instead of Christmas songs, he's in the spotlight with everyone else out of focus. This is how Sebastian thinks of himself when performing then. Later, when performing Start A Fire he notices Mia and the crowd.
The only criticism I have is that personally, I didn't like the part of the planetarium scene where Mia and Sebastian are dancing in the stars. But I liked the rest of the planetarium scene and that part was still very visually pleasing.
One of my favorite parts of the movie was the hypothetical towards the end. I love that scene(s), but I can sum it up in 3 main reasons.
1. It shows that both Mia and Sebastian couldn't achieve their dreams and be together.
2. It reminds me of an old-fashioned musical like Singin' in the Rain or Sound of Music.
3. It is really genius because you don't know if it was Mia or Sebastian thinking it.
The ending is my third favorite after Inception and Whiplash. The visual and musical beauty of this movie, along with being a technical marvel, make it what I think is the second best movie of the 2010s (after Wolf of Wall Street). This masterpiece is now my favorite movie.
