Member-only story
Movie Review: La La Land
Delve into the magical world of jazz, and uncover the love you never knew you had in Damien Chazelle’s wonderous love letter to the Hollywood of old.
***** (5 stars/5)
Five years ago, if you had told me I would be sat here giving a film such as this a five-star review, I’d have told you to sing and dance your way out of the door. Yet La La Land is the exception, as it smoothly waltzes its way through the two hours and eight-minute run time in a wealth of colour, effortlessly deployed by director Damien Chazelle and cinematographer Linus Sandgren.
Chazelle takes us on a beautiful journey through the land of Hollywood through the fantastical story of the two protagonists — Mia (Emma Stone) and Sebastian (Ryan Gosling).
Fresh from the surprising success of 2014’s Whiplash, Chazelle delivers again, as he manages to uncover the supposed magic of Los Angeles, helped by Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone putting in Oscar-caliber performances. Gosling plays a jazz pianist dreaming of opening his own club one day, with Stone playing an aspiring actress. The two sing and dance their way through the seasons, turning La La Land into Hollywood’s love letter to itself. It even references the world it lives in, with references to classical films such as Casablanca (whether that be a name drop or Ingrid Bergman’s face on Mia’s wall) and Singin’ in…
