You guys have no idea how much I've been chomping at the bit to talk about this movie for the past couple months! I first found out about it after I saw Whiplash, back when Miles Teller and Emma Watson were still attached to star in the film. For one reason or another, those actors had to depart from the project, but that turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as it's led to the film I just witnessed tonight, La La Land, starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone.

Here's the story. Mia, an aspiring actress, serves lattes to movie stars in between auditions and Sebastian, a jazz musician, scrapes by playing cocktail party gigs in dingy bars, but as success mounts they are faced with decisions that begin to fray the fragile fabric of their love affair, and the dreams they worked so hard to maintain in each other threaten to rip them apart.

This is a movie that reminded me why I love movies in the first place, especially ones where music is at the center of the narrative. I'm keeping this review relatively short, because at some point this weekend I'll be doing a full spoiler discussion with fellow contributor Keona Tang. For now, here are some of the highlights.

*Possible spoilers ahead*

First off, I want to shine the spotlight on the unsung heroes of the film, lyricists Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, who wrote the music along with composer Justin Hurwitz. The one exception is the track "Start a Fire," which was written by John Legend, Marius de Vries and Angelique Cinelu. I have no idea if Legend plans on re-recording that song for a future album, but as a stand alone tune it's incredibly catchy. Overall, I love how seamlessly the songs are interwoven into the narrative, which can be a challenge when writing a musical for the big screen for those with less experience. Pasek and Paul are a fairly successful duo on stage, but in film, they've got a bright future ahead of them. If you saw the movie Trolls, then you already got a taste of their style on the song "Get Back Up Again" performed by Anna Kendrick, and their next projects post-La La Land are Disney's upcoming remake of Snow White and 20th Century Fox's The Greatest Showman on Earth. And if any of those tunes are as good as songs such as the fantastic opener "Another Day in the Sun," the recurring theme "City of Stars" or Emma Stone's show stopping number "Audition (The Fools Who Dream)," then these guys will become cinematic legends much like The Sherman Brothers and Ashman & Menken before them.

Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone are quickly becoming my favorite on-screen couple that I've seen in a very long time. This is their third movie together, having previously starred in Crazy, Stupid, Love and Gangster Squad, and watching the two of them work off each other is just such a delight. I would probably be crushed if Emma Stone didn't end up winning the Oscar for Best Actress this year, as this is probably her best performance since, if not better than her role in Birdman. Everyone else of course is great, most notably John Legend as Sebastian's former classmate Keith, who offers him a position as a keyboard player for his band The Messengers. Some people may consider him the antagonist of the film, but I don't necessarily agree. Besides, how can I be against a character who performs one of my favorite songs in the movie? Other great performances come from minor supporting players such as Rosemary DeWitt, Terry Walters and J.K. Simmons, who I hope becomes one of Damian Chazelle's muses.

Finally, speaking of Damian Chazelle, he is the real star of this film. I could tell as I was watching the movie that this is something he was born to make, a bonafide labor of love. You could make the argument that La La Land completes some sort of Jazz Quadrilogy, starting with Chazelle's directorial debut, Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench, and following that up with 2013's Grand Piano (which Chazelle only wrote), Whiplash, and now La La Land. I love all the little details, such as the retro opening and closing title cards, a possible easter egg that references the plot of Grand Piano, and just everything about the Epilogue, which is one of the best endings of a film I've seen since Whiplash. That's another thing I love about Chazelle as a director, he knows just how to end a movie on a high note. I want to save my thoughts on the story for the spoiler discussion, but for now, anyone who's working towards achieving their dream much like Sebastian and Mia should DEFINITELY see this movie. I may not live in Los Angeles, but I know what it's like to be in their shoes, as I am very passionate in my pursuit of becoming a professional film critic. You may be frustrated by any obstacles that stand in your way, but the last thing you should do is give up on your dreams. If that means making a few compromises, by all means do what you have to do, as long as in the end you're doing what makes you happy.

10/10

I'm seeing La La Land again on Saturday, just to confirm my feelings, but for now I feel pretty good about calling this my #1 movie of the year. I've had plenty of back and forth discussions with film critic Scott Mantz, and he and I both agree that this movie could leave the same emotional impact that Titanic made 20 years ago. Hell, if I may be so bold, I'll even say that there's a chance it could share at least a portion of Titanic's financial success.

Now I want to hear from you guys. Have you seen La La Land, and if so what did you think? Also, does anyone else want to back up my ridiculous comparison between La La Land and Titanic? Drop your thoughts in the comments below, and stay tuned for my next review, where I blast off into space with the help of three extraordinary women in Hidden Figures.