Sam Morrison’s review published on Letterboxd:
"Welcome to Seb's."
It sounds cliche and melodramatic, but I was spoken to today by this film. I'm probably the last person on Earth who hadn't seen this, but it was needed at this time in my life. Although the hype might have dwindled the overall enjoyment of this, I believe I gathered all I could on a spiritual level from La La Land.
Firstly, it spoke to the hopeless romantic in me. That pining creature longing for an embrace, desperate for that connection to a level that crucifies all real opportunity. In the fictional world, the effects aren't permanent. You can be hurt, with the knowledge that it didn't occur to you, and it doesn't change the structure of your life. It's a happy-go-lucky affair for the majority, but damn that ending. You can't just do that. That really stung.
And if you're not invested in the romance per se, the characters individually speak to the dreamers, the artists whose passion guides where each foot is placed. The lively yet desperate, hungry for that chance to show they will never quit. Like many I'm sure, I've lost my passion somewhere along the way. And this was yet another reminder I need to find it again. Because life goes on without it, but it sure feels like a prison that way.
And even if those still aren't your thing somehow, there are the musical bits. To my surprise, it was a lot less heavy than I was anticipating. Musicals and I don't quite connect, but this was easy going compared to a lot I've seen. The production value sings higher than any note, and really captures the splendor of theater while having its place comfortably in the world. This is a film to show someone who needs a steady introduction into musicals. And the colors, the colors, the colors! Nothing more needs to be said.
La La Land is a gift in many forms. To cinema, to art, to theater lovers, to music... To the dreamers.
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