La La Land★★★★
Modern song and dance
Gos + Emma foreva'
Bittersweet ending
A jazz pianist falls for an aspiring actress in Los Angeles.
La La Land is another movie I watched in December ... and then moving and the holidays and all the other excuses got in the way of my typing up a review. So, again, forgive me if I don't go into super specifics.
I was excited about La La Land from the moment I heard about it. I adore Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone acting opposite each other; they always have crazy delicious chemistry. Add to that the fact that the movie's a musical, and this checked all the right boxes on my "I have to see this" chart.
Although I really liked the movie, it wasn't quite what I expected. For one, it was more realistic than I'd hoped for, specifically the relationship between Sebastian (Ryan) and Mia (Emma). Now, realism isn't a bad thing, and it made for quite an interesting juxtaposition against the cheerful colors and songs of the film. I guess I just wanted to escape into something more romantic and fantastical? (No spoilers, but Colt—ever the hopeless romantic—disliked the ending immensely.)
I wasn't blown away by Ryan and Emma's singing or dancing, but I loved both of their performances overall. I think the fact the neither of them dances or sings like a total professional added to the realistic feeling the film had; again, not a pro or a con—just a statement. And I mentioned this above, but I really could watch the two of them in a movie with no other people; their chemistry is that good.
The movie is also really pretty, and not just from a "look at those gorgeous movie stars" standpoint. The colors and scenery are all super saturated, which made me think of old musicals and movies about the heyday of Hollywood. (I'm guessing these nods were done on purpose.) The story runs the gamut of emotions from funny to sweet to sexy to heartbreaking, and is all-around unique. At least, to me.
If you like complex movies with musical numbers, then this one's for you.
Check it out:
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