josh’s review published on Letterboxd:
here's to the ones who dream
foolish as they may seem
here's to the hearts that ache
here's to the mess we made
it takes a dreamer to know one, so it's unsurprising that Damien Chazelle, one of the most successful young directors in the industry right now, directs La La Land, a film all about dreams and the risks we need to take to achieve them.
Sebastian and Mia, the main characters in this film, are both young dreamers with old souls and old ideologies living in Los Angeles, the city of dreams. both want to achieve a dream they've had for a long time; Mia wants to be an actress, and Sebastian wants to be a successful jazz artist. these two are polar opposites, which, obviously, means that both are on a crash course hurtling towards each other.
in terms of filmmaking, this is a rarity. the acting, cinematography, and spontaneous musical numbers all seem as if they are from a lost era. my favorite song, which is hard to choose, is either Gosling and Stone's duet of A Lovely Night or Stone's starry-eyed performance of Audition. both are testaments to an old style of film, but surprisingly, it works in this modern time. Chazelle's direction is so self-assured it's amazing, and I can't wait to see more from him.
i believe what Chazelle is trying to say with this movie is that certain sacrifices need to be made in order for dreams to be achieved, including what we love the most. the crushing disappointment of failure is candy-coated in a Technicolor haze of song and dance beautifully, right until the facade crumbles right at the end of the second act and the truth of lost ambition becomes more evident than ever.
as Emma Stone sings, this is to the ones who dream, and the mess they make.
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