Nathan Groothuis’s review published on Letterboxd:
Every now and then, a film comes along that makes me want to reevaluate how I give out Five Stars because it is so much better than other films I've given Five Star ratings to.
The first time I saw La La Land was an absolutely transcendent movie experience. The second time was even better. I was transfixed from beginning to end. From it's opening that is "delightfulness" taken physical form, to the perfectly bittersweet conclusion, La La Land has surpassed the classic musicals that it pays homage to.
Staring Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, La La Land tells the story of a struggling actress and jazz musician, who meet and fall in love in Los Angeles. The performances from both leads are dazzling, with Emma Stone delivering the performance of her already acomplished career.
But what truly elevates La La Land to a Masterpiece, which it most certainly is, has to be the absolute immaculate Direction from Damien Chazelle. From the glorious opening long take to the fast frenetic editing of Jazz, Chazelle has taken the term "every frame a painting" to the next level. The color, lighting, blocking and framing all come together to create one of the beautiful films ever made.
But of course, La La Land is a musical, so how was the music? It was perfect, every song, and dance number had character, emotion and beauty. While non of the actors, barring John Legend, are professional singers or dancers, it actually works in the Films favor. In older Musicals, such as Singin' in The Rain, at times the movie would turn into a play as the songs and musical numbers were clearly directed at the audience. But in La La Land, characters are singing and dancing with and for each other, not the audience. The film never misses a chance to choose character development over impressiveness with its choreography and songs.
La La Land had an effect on me that is almost impossible to describe. It is, in every sense of the word, a masterpiece. From its Direction, to its music, to the performances, to the themes that any dreamer can relate to, Damien Chazelle has crafted something truly magnificent.
La La Land Debuts at #1 on my 2016 Ranked List, and has smashed its way in to my All time Favorite Films.
