LA LA LAND (2017) Review
Written and directed by Damien Chazelle
There isn’t a film that has the perfect mix of escapism and reality. Confusing as it may sound, but La La Land tells its story in a way that we imagine romance and ends dropping everything as a reality. It’s a bittersweet statement of life, of love, the journey of getting there and the struggles of being there.
Starts with an upbeat musical number, introducing its milieu to the viewers, the film wants to establish the busy life of Hollywood, of show business and all of the beauty in it. Another day of Sun, trying to reach the dreams of being an actress, and being a jazz performer. Mia (Emma Stone) works as a waitress in a Holllywood studio but attends auditions every now and then, waiting for her chance to be a star while Sebastian, makes a living by playing the piano at a restaurant with songs that aren’t what he really wants to play.
Everything changes when a serendipitous moment where the tired of her old life Mia hears Sebastian plays what he wants to play at the restaurant he’s working. Everything fell into their rightful place from that night until life gets in the way.
Damien Chazelle’s La La Land is fascinating to watch, you can’t help but unconsciously be mesmerized by most of its sequence as they are delightfully stitch together to come up with one movie that will dazzle and also touch the hearts of its viewers. It’s lovely in the right places and its story is very much relatable even if some of its sequences are quite more than what reality can offer.
Stone and Gosling are perfect, they might not have the best voices in the world or for their roles, but what the film needed to have that magical effect, they both delivered it flawlessly. Their charms appeal to everyone like they’re made for each other and that transcends to the screen immensely. Here’s to hoping this isn’t their last work together, and maybe with the talented Chazelle once more.
4.5 OUT OF 5 STARS
“La La Land” is now showing in Philippine cinemas from Pioneer Films. Rated PG by the MTRCB.