Jackson’s review published on Letterboxd:
HELLO MY FRIENDS and welcome to my newest Letterboxd Series called Watching Movie Musicals Streaming Services Recommend to Me. And welcome to the Premiere Part 1, and I don’t think there could be any better way to start then with:
La La Land
Written & Directed by Damien Chazelle
Streaming Service: Jackson+(😜)
I. LOVE. LA LA LAND. I think this entire film is one of the best films ever made and with the creative mind of Damien Chazelle at the head of this thing, it’s spectacle is unlike anything. And I think I’ve told you all the story but I’m gonna tell it again. When this film came out almost 5 YEARS AGO now I obviously wasn’t allowed to watch R-Rated Oscar films like I am now. So I wasn’t able to see a lot of Oscar type movies back in 2016, cause they were, well... Oscar films. BUT, I actually saw this one in theater’s with my Dad, and Sister, Christmas Evening, 9:10 showing, at the Regal Cinema 14 in Short Pump, Virginia(don’t worry I don’t live there now, I’m not giving away my location). I was in awe of this film, and I was clueless as hell back then so I had no idea it was getting the amount of love that it was from the Academy, and honestly didn’t care for the Oscars as much as I do now, but when Oscar night came, and La La Land kept winning all these awards, I was so happy, a film I had actually seen, was this amazing, and that important. So... can you imagine, 10 year old me, sitting in my living room, and seeing the whole La La Land, Moonlight debockle? I was a mess. When they said La La Land, as the Best Picture of 2016, I low key started screaming, I was so happy. I was jumping up and down with my sister, cause she was equally as excited, but then the fuck you La La Land moment happened. They read the wrong, FUCKING card. I started to cry. I was so sad. This story is not made up in the slightest you guys, I was devastated by this. I was so sad, cause another R-rated piece of cinema, that I couldn’t watch for another 3 years won the award for Best Picture. So that’s my experience with it.
But getting back to the film itself and how beautiful it is. And I think its insane how this was carried out so well by just two incredible actors. Emma Stone delivers the performance of her career, there’s no question about that. Her suttle take on a struggling Actress is what you’d typically call Oscar Bait, but it’s not. It’s just it’s own unique twist on a regularly seen character throughout cinema history. And the way Emma captures it feels real. It felt personal at times when she felt like nothing but giving up was the best option that was incredible. But while she doesn’t have big line deliveries she still acts with the up most beauty and energy to really sell this performance. And her singing is AMAZING!! Scene that got her the Oscar was the Audition ( fools who dream) scene, I just know it. Everytime I watch that scene, including this one, I tear up cause it’s so wonderfully emotionalized and executing the lyrics in a balanced vocal tone is just me fan girling over Emma Stone, but also me watching as an aspiring actor and hoping to be in Mia’s position one day and making it big in the lights of Hollywood stardom. And it’s Mia’s story that resignates with me so much cause I want to be an Actor, so when I watch this I always picture myself in her shoes thinking that that could be me in 10 years.
Ryan Gosling is a boring Actor y’all, he just is. But I think that Chazelle took all that out of him somehow and just completely made a whole new actor out of him cause GOSH DAMN he is great in this film. Now a white guy saving jazz, COME ON, it’s sort of funny but it’s a really good character for a film like this. I love how he took Sebastian’s dedication to saving jazz and fueled that into his performance. But while I think he’s really good in this film, I don’t like his singing as much as I do Emma’s, but he’s fine enough for it to not be misleading.
Then the rest fo the film is just gorgeous. The Cinematography uses the best color scheme I’ve ever seen. The Direction from Damien Chazelle is the best directed film of the decade, if not of all time. He took a vision and made it real. His detail and time taken into every shot of this film glows off the screen and carries that impact with you. And the way he displays the performances throughout the film is effortless.
Overall, I just think this is one of the greatest films of all time. Beautifully acted, detailed writing, and phenomenal direction, La La Land is the true best picture of 2016.
I also really hope y'all enjoy this series, cause I’m really excited to do it. So I’m ready to have fun with you all on these classic Movie Musicals and have conversations about them.
🔙Olivia Colman’s next Oscar nomination
🔜Watching Movie Musicals Streaming Services Reccomend to Me Part 2
