Director: Damien Chazelle Starring: Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone Studio: Liongate Genre(s): Musical/Drama Rated: PG-13 (For some language) |
A scene early on in “La La Land” features our two main
characters, walking down a romantically lit street while they look for her
car. He can’t stand her and she finds
herself miffed at him and his constant attitude, but there is a chemistry there
that is undeniable. The man points out
that the lights are on, the moon is full, and this perfect romantic setting is
wasted on them. They tease each other,
the music swells, and soon they are dancing with such energy and joy we are
officially rooting for them to get together.
The scene evokes the sense of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in how the two
interact with each other while the dancing is probably the most
iconic I’ve seen since Gene Kelly put down his umbrella and decided to sing in the
rain a little bit.
It has all the makings of a classic Hollywood scene. The kind of “movie magic” that is captured
but once in a blue moon. What is notable
about this is while the scene is shot to evoke the romance Hollywood used to be
known for, the movie takes place in a modern world, with smart phones, high
rent costs, and a society that has little love for what made things popular in
the first place. They want things to be ‘new’
and ‘current.’ They have lost the magic
in their hearts (if it was ever there to begin with). Our lead characters are old souls who are
trapped in a world of cynicism and dreams that come with strings attached. That means the movie begins with a dream,
falls on hard times, and ends with our leads needing to make compromises in
their lives. Oh, but what a joy it all
is to experience?!
We have Mia (Emma Stone), who works at a coffee shop across
an original set piece used in the classic film “Casablanca,” hoping to one day
become a glamorous actress that people will remember long after she is
gone. She has the look and appears to
have the dance skills…but then, so do many other girls in this town. As far as casting agents are concerned, she
can be directed but there is nothing special about her. Despite this, she goes through life with a
twinkle in her eye and optimism that is infectious to observe. Much more so than Sebastian (Ryan Gosling)
has. He is a fan of jazz and hopes to
open a jazz club of his own, but none of the clubs who are hiring want him to
play his style of music, and he has principles to adhere to. In a way, it’s not difficult to imagine him
being a lot like Mia just a few years ago.
He’s been in this town longer though, and the reality that
what he wants to do and what he needs to do are coming ever so more into
conflict with each other, and he’s at the point where he knows he’ll have to
make a choice sooner or later. When the
two meet they are similar in some ways and different in others (like most
couples in this type of film are). They
connect so deeply, I believe, because deep down they both have an ideal view of
what they would love their lives to be like.
She believes it more so than he does at this point in time, but he still
believes in the dream just enough to believe it’s obtainable. The joy (and disappointment) comes from
watching these two young lovers start a life together and watch their view of
what that life is ever so slowly shift over the course of the film.
There is a fine line that is being walked throughout this
entire movie where the movie has to morph from feel good musical to a more
serious drama. The changes happen slowly
and subtly, creeping up on the audience in a way that when we realize they are
changing, we are beyond a point where anything can be done about it. The seasons change and with them so do the
hopes and dreams of the future. The more
the future comes up, the more we look at the past as silly dreams we had when
we were kids. Yet this is not a cynical
movie. It is a largely joyous one with
hints of sadness and longing. It
acknowledges that times change and so do the people. It knows that the world, which at one point
in time seems magical and endless, becomes more grounded later on (literally in
the case of this film).
The movie was directed by Damien Chazelle, who burst onto
the movie scene in a big way a few years ago with “Whiplash,” about an aspiring
boy who had dreams of being taught by a masterful teacher, only to discover the
teacher was abusive and insane. That he
became a willing participant of the abuse showed how much he believed in the
dream. While that was a very different
kind of movie, I wonder if it was the blueprint for what we see in “La La Land.” Somewhere in Chazelle’s head is there is a
version of “La La Land” where the characters are crushed by reality on a
constant basis but so hopefully attached to the dream they just can’t see what
is happening around them? Because while
this movie is largely a fantasy, reality does come crashing down at one
point. By the time anyone realizes it
though we have been viewing the world through musical colored glasses this
whole time, and we can’t help but wonder where things changed.
By styling this after the movies of the old days Chazelle
has made a movie of undeniable beauty and joy, all while keeping his very adult
concerns and disappointments intact without overbearing the audience in
angst. It is a masterpiece of film
making. “La La Land” is a tribute to how
good movies were and how good they’ve become, while perfectly blending the old
fashioned film making with modern day sensibilities. It may be the one movie this season that can
successfully join the older generation of film lovers with the younger
generation and not make either one feel contempt for each other. It is one of the best films of the year and
has cemented Damien Chazelle as one of the best directors working in Hollywood
after only two films. Course, the same
thing happened with Michael Cimino, so hopefully reality won’t sink in on
Chazelle too soon.
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| CONSUMER ADVICE |
Parents, disappointingly, there is just one use of the f word as well as a vulgar gesture. Otherwise it would be a perfect, old fashioned family film. Recommended for ages 12 and up.
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