Felix Atkinson’s review published on Letterboxd:
Damien Chazelle's "La La Land" is a beautiful masterpiece that paints a timeless portrait of ambition, love and the dreams we have- but also the sacrifice and heartache we must suffer to follow those dreams. The story surrounds Mia (an aspiring actress, who serves lattes to movie stars inbetween auditions) and Sebastian (a jazz musician, who scrapes by on playing cocktail party gigs in dingy bars). As their 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. The film is an absolute triumph, and was met with an overflowing amount of acclaim from critics and audiences- gaining a record-shattering fourteen Academy Award nominations including Best Picture! Both the leads, Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, were praised for their fantastic acting. They work together so well, and their acting is so strong. The songs are amazing, and unlike many musicals they seem to work very cohesively with the story. The score is wonderful, with Justin Hurwitz having crafted such moving music to go along with what is ultimately a sad story. The dialogue is terrific, each word fitting in like the missing pieces to a jigsaw. And, of course, the renowned Damien Chazelle's directing was impeccable! Another thing to note is the fantastic set design that, when paired with the breathtaking cinematography, is pure perfection. It can be so lively at times- with many Old Hollywood references snook in- but at other times so emotional and daring. From the very first time I experienced "La La Land" I was blown away. It is a triumphant beautiful masterpiece that I am in awe of every single time I watch. Words struggle to describe how much I love it. This film grabbed me by my heart and it hasn't let go. Thank you for reading, and I hope you are all well- bloody legends.
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