“People love what other people are passionate about.“

Damien Chazelle’s La La Land is one of the most visually appealing movies I have ever seen and could also probably be one of the best musical dramas I will ever be watching. I am not a big fan of the genre from whatever little exposure I have to it. I like dialogue carrying forward the narrative rather than the songs or music but this film changed that opinion for me. I guess I just didn’t come across the right film to have a change of mind and this film did it for me. 

I know I am late to the party in catching this film but I believe it’s better late than never whatever the reason might be. Two highly ambitious people with their good looks being a bonus for us as viewers, fall in love only to realise that dreams and goals are always above love or attraction and we have no option but to make sacrifices and be content with whatever we can get because that’s how life is designed and nobody ever gets to take all they want. This is a terrific point for the storyline of a musical drama and it’s written and executed in the most beautiful way. 

The visuals of LA made me feel I am in a fantastical dreamland. The use of colours and their framing,  basically the entire film is an aesthetic high which is hard to beat. The intention is to create a dreamy atmosphere when two people are in love and that couldn’t have been done better. Not just the visuals but the art work, production design, set work, costumes and makeup have a big role to play in this because all of them were in sync with the visuals in terms of the colours used and mood created. The costumes of Emma Stone especially are simple yet beautiful, mainly because of the colours and I just couldn’t get enough of them. She is having a blast flaunting with the best costumes, both here as well as in Cruella. She also delivered an almost award winning act in my opinion, with her tiny reactions and expressions leaving me spellbound and crushing over her. Ryan Gosling had a bit less to prove in terms of the performance but he did a great job too and effortlessly carried the ease and charm. Both were great in all the long single shot dance sequences.

The music and songs are undoubtedly a major factor to make this film work as the movie revolves and relies on it, just like the director’s previous film Whiplash. Apart from the exciting chemistry between the leads, the out-of-the-world colourful visuals and score, it’s the climax and dialogues which added an altogether different layer to the film and made it what it is. The ending was shocking, saddening as well as full of hope and all this was totally unexpected for me as I wasn’t ready for that going by the way the movie progressed till then. This film is an ultimate answer to how to break clichés by posing as one. I am probably one step away from being a fan of Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone (I guess I already am going mad over her) and Damien Chazelle and one more solid film could lock me in.

“Someone in the crowd could be the one you need to know.

The one to finally lift you off the ground.”