La La Land Review: We live in a cynical world and Damien Chazelle's mesmerising romantic musical (hailed as the front-runner for this year’s Academy Awards) is just what you need to light up the dark days. Set in contemporary times, beaming with optimism and soaked in nostalgia, the old-fashioned romance, tugs at your heartstrings with its relevance and simplicity. It reminds you who you were before failures made you practical.
Chazelle's riveting storytelling and Stone-Gosling's terrific performances make you relive the nervous excitement of first love and the devastating emotions of shattered dreams. This lyrical masterpiece brings every dreamer's fantasy and fears to life. It recreates 'Hollywood movie magic', right from the spectacular single-take opening song (Another Day of Sun), where motorists sing and dance atop their cars on a clogged LA freeway.
Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall
- seasons signify the highs and lows in Mia and Sebastian's seemingly idyllic relationship. Life may not pan out the way you'd desired but true love makes it worthwhile
- this message lies at the heart of Chazelle's basic but soul-stirring tale. The underlying conflict between hopes, wishes and reality never seemed so real.
Though the film is hopelessly romantic, it's equally relatable. You can see yourself through the eyes of its vulnerable protagonists, making their tale, your own.
Interestingly, Justin Hurwitz’s soulful music is an extension of the characters' state of mind. Sung by Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, 'City of Stars' is a classic melancholy tune that's bound to melt your heart.
Also Read: ‘La La Land’ filmmaker Damien Chazelle becomes the youngest winner of Best Director Award
The performances and chemistry between the lead actors is remarkable. Gosling shines as a prickly Jazz purist, who conceals his emotions while Stone stands out as the sparkly girl, whose eyes speak a million words. Together they are magical and so is this eternal love ballad that will change the way you look at life.
TRIVIA
1. Miles Teller and Emma Watson were set to play the lead roles in the film. However, Teller was dropped from the project in favour of Ryan Gosling, while Watson dropped out to pursue other projects.
2. Emma Watson declined the role of Mia due to scheduling conflicts with 'Beauty and the Beast' (2017), while Ryan Gosling turned down the role of the Beast in that film to appear in this film, coincidentally both are musicals.
3. The opening number 'Traffic' was shot over three weekends on a real Los Angeles highway. A number of camera tricks were used to make it look like one seamless shot.
4. Both Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling were slated to star in 'Focus' (2015) but dropped out. Their roles later went to Margot Robbie and Will Smith.
5. It is rumoured that the previously cast Miles Teller had lost the lead role in this film due to his performance in the critically panned 'Fantastic Four' (2015) reboot.
- What is the release date of 'La La Land'?
Release date of Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling starrer 'La La Land' is 2016-12-09. - Who are the actors in 'La La Land'?
'La La Land' star cast includes Emma Stone, Ryan Gosling, Finn Wittrock and J.K. Simmons. - Who is the director of 'La La Land'?
'La La Land' is directed by Damien Chazelle. - What is Genre of 'La La Land'?
'La La Land' belongs to 'Comedy, Drama, Musical' genre. - In Which Languages is 'La La Land' releasing?
'La La Land' is releasing in English.