Scott Bailey’s review published on Letterboxd:
2017 UK Releases Ranked
2016 US Releases Ranked
After the monumental masterpiece that was Whiplash, Damien Chazelle proves that this was absolutely no fluke and it looks a pretty safe bet that anything he puts out from here on in, will be a must see experience. This film is simply heavenly and I never wanted it to end! :)
I actually do need to see more of the musicals of yesteryear as this film resurrects the genre in the best way possible. It has sweeping musical numbers that just take you on a magical ride that you never want to end, but it is also a wonderful, very real story that has a very poignant message.
La La Land is the story of two people who aspire to be something. Sebastian, played by Ryan Gosling is a talented musician who is passionate about the art of jazz. He works playing at dingy bars, and aspires to be a famous musician to resurrect what he feels is a dying. Mia played by Emma Stone on the other hand works at a café serving movie stars and she aspires to be an actress, but is constantly held back by auditions that don't work out. Their paths cross multiple times and I particularly loved the opening exchange between them. They are swept in this romance that simply feels magical to watch and it almost feels like pure fantasy at times, which makes sense given the kind of film this is, but it is still has a good balance between that and also honest and relatable. In fact the way it is portrayed in this actually does feel so much more true to life than I expected.
The best thing I can say about Ryan Gosling as Sebastian is that whenever he has a role with an emotional heft like in this film, he is subtle with it. His facial expressions in this movie just tells a thousand words. I could always spot when his character put on a false smile, or any other I felt like his character was putting on a front. It is truly riveting, thoughtful and just completely unforgettable.
Emma Stone gives one of her finest performances and also has that same and she also has a wonderful way of emoting without hammering in how her character is actually feeling. There's one scene very early on in the film, where she looked like she was going to burst into tears, but then doesn't and I kinda felt my heart just sink in that moment. They are absolutely perfect together and have a beautiful on screen chemistry. Their romance felt 100% real to me.
I'll be honest, I can't say I'm the biggest fan of musicals, and the way the film starts with just how spontaneous the opening songs are, I was kinda worried I wouldn't take to it, but I was quickly won over by it's sheer joy, charm and energy. It never sacrifices character or plot at any point. It's always a good sign how engaging a film is when you are in a packed cinema and there are two or three moments of long silent pauses and everyone in the audience is silent, hanging on what the next line of dialogue will be! The atmosphere is so palpable you could literally hear a pin drop in those moments, especially the dinner table scene.
The film is vibrant and colourful and reminds me a lot of the beautiful technicolor films of the 1950's, but this has a more modern look to it. The costumes always stands out because of the colour and the style and the backgrounds as well. The cinematography is just beautiful, with so many long dolly shots throughout the whole film and this particularly stood out at the start for me. It looks every bit as beautiful as it does in the trailers. The lighting also stands out and I absolutely loved the way the environments would dim from being bright and colourful, to being almost pitch black in the more emotional moments. The songs all have that memorable charm to them, and don't be surprised if you find yourself whistling them after the film is over, particularly 'City of Stars' :)
It's not only a movie about following your dreams, but it is all about the cost and sacrifice of following them. Is it truly worth it, and is it all it's cracked up to be? I found it had very much the same principles as Whiplash, but that film got it's point across from a much more extreme perspective. La La Land does have one subtle difference and that is the message about self discovery. It really plays on your emotions and what you want to happen to these characters, and it leads to one of the most cathartic, bitter-sweet endings to a film I have ever seen and I simply adored it.
•Note: sorry I haven't written any reviews in awhile. I've just been filming and editing YouTube videos for the first time in a long time counting down my Top 20 films of 2016 and the first part is up right now, and part 2 which counts down my Top 10 will be up within the next few days, and then after that I will reveal my complete 2016 ranked list on this site, all of them are based on releases in the UK so there will be some obvious differences :)
Thank you so much to everyone who has subscribed to my channel and stayed patient with me and also thanks to everyone who has followed me here too. I never thought I would ever pass 300 followers and I'm genuinely humbled by that. I have been reviewing films for over a year now and I actually do think the way I see film has changed a lot since this time last year. I am always trying to improve the quality of my reviews, and when a movie like this comes around it definitely helps :)
Update: Part 2 is now uploaded and here is my 2016 ranked list
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