Image Credit: Indie Wire
"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 make
A bit of madness is key
To give us new colors to see
Who knows where it will lead us?
And that's why they need us"
Review in a Sentence: Ode to the Golden Era of Hollywood.
Movie in a Sentence: Understanding art, devoting time to moves and music, not just lyrics, ultimately leading to something purer, something greater, something denser than true romance.
Introduction
Initial release - 13 January 2016 (Spain)
Director - Damien Chazelle
Music by Justin Hurwitz
Cinematography - Linus Sandgren
Star Cast - Ryan Gosling as Sebastian, Emma Stone as Mia, Rosemarie DeWitt as Laura
The world's dying, they say. Films are dead, they claim. And they say that cinema musicals are practically extinct, they call them dead. But there is a remedy for this barbarism, an antidote to this irrationality. It's La La Land. It's a film. It's a musical. It's a movie musical. This is called La Land, and that's where your life is to be saved.
It's not going to come to you, however. You have to go there. I know you've been victimized far too often; the movies have hurt us all. They had gotten up, leaving us alone on the rainy sidewalks, but one last time, if only to restore them, you must put your faith in them. It's La Land that you must run.
The Curtain-Raiser
“I’m letting life hit me until it gets tired. Then I’ll hit back. It’s a class of rope-a-dope.”
It's the story about two lost dreamers in the City of Stars. He is a rising jazz pianist, and she is an aspiring actress with Ingrid Bergman posters on her wall.
Their paths cross in a succession, again and again, and again, filmed in masterfully choreographed pieces as they negotiate the magical realism of La La Land and fight with their hopes and dreams amidst a metropolis that can be as suffocating as it is inspiring.
The Movie Blurb: Non-Spoiler Alert!
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| Image Credit: IMDb |
"I Don't Know What You Came To Do, But I Wanna Do It With You."
"La La Land" begins as a sophisticated, twinkly fantasy innocence with the splash modernity of L.A. sass (especially in casual, harsh sequences of Mia's audition). However, in its second half, the film turns to a mildly murky rendition of art-vs-commerce, focussing the theme of how you can keep up with your dreams.
This old-fashioned romance, set in contemporary circumstances, gleaming with hope and positivity and drenched in nostalgia, strikes at your heartstrings with its relevancy and simplicity. It keeps reminding you of who you were before setbacks shaped you into a sensible person.
This poetic-lyrical masterpiece brings to life every dreamer's fantasy as well as fears. It recreates 'Hollywood movie charm' straight from the single-take breathtaking opening number (Another Day of Sun) on a jammed highway where motorists sing and dance at the top of their cars.
Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall
Seasons are the highs and lows of the seemingly ideal relationship between Mia and Sebastian. Life may not always go as planned, but genuine love makes it all worthwhile - this is the theme at the core of Chazelle's simple but soul-stirring story.
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| Image Credit: Twitter |
“City of stars
Are you shining just for me?
City of stars
There's so much that I can't see
Who knows?
Is this the start of something wonderful and new?
Or one more dream that I cannot make true?”
Never before had the underlying struggle between dreams, wishes, and reality been so real. Interestingly enough, the heartfelt music of Justin Hurwitz is a soulful extension of the psyche of the characters. "City of Stars" is a classic melancholic song, sung by Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, which would bound to spill your heart.
It's a story about artistic passion and how easily you may get sidetracked off your dream. Perhaps it takes someone else to drive you back to the right paths to find it again. These characters Gosling and Stone find grace but emotional resonance in their arcs.
There are great performances and chemistry between the leading actors. Gosling shines like an impressive jazz purist, disguising his feelings as Stone stands out as the sparkling girl, with a million words in his eyes. They are amazing together, so this timeless love ballad changes your way of seeing reality.
Preserving the Dying Movie - Musical Genre and The Eternal Romance
“She lived in her liquor, and died with a flicker, but I’ll always remember the flame.”
-Mia
It even can single-handedly resuscitate the dying theatre experience on its own. It may not rescue the whole musical, but as long as it remains- as long as there are movies, it will guarantee, even when it takes the very last swing and limps off the stage after dancing to the bitter end, it will guarantee that the honor this genre deserves is given to it.
Quirky Highlights from the Movie
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| Image Credit: Dance Informa. |
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| Image Credit: Vanity Fair |
"Somewhere, There’s A Place Where I Find Who I’m Gonna Be. Somewhere, That’s Just Waiting To Be Found.”
From Mia's song - "Someone in the Crowd"
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| Image Credit: Quotes and Humour |
"How Are You Gonna Be A Revolutionary If You're Such A Traditionalist?"
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| Image Credit: IMDb |
"People Love What Other People Are Passionate About."
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| Image Credit: The New York Times |
“She captured a feeling, sky with no ceiling, the sunset inside of a frame.”
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| Image Credit: go UW |
"Cause I Think It Hurts A Little Bit Too Much."
The Bottom Line
Starting right from the jazz club to its euphoric highway number until its ultimate, sorrowful moment, located on a Los Angeles highway, there is no single moment, no twinkle in the eye, no grin, no single swish of the attire that does not fully embrace and encapsulate you with its unquenchable charm.
It'll transport you away and make you sink in love with movies again for those 2 hours. This is one of the finest movie sequences ever. You will applaud, you’ll groan, you will surely laugh, yet there will be tears.
My Ratings for the Movie - 5 on 5
Written By - Prakriti Chaudhary
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