Movie Review: "Gaga over La La Land"

I’ve noticed that the older I’m getting, the more critical I’m becoming of the theatrical movies released each year. And as a result, I’m liking fewer and fewer as time goes on.  Sure, part of the reason is because many movies today aren’t being made for the 50+ crowd that I fit into. But there’s also no denying that, in general, movies being made today just aren’t as good as in the past.  Things have gotten so bad, in fact, that movie studios are relying on sequels more than ever. There are 31 sequels planned to be released in 2017 alone!

That said, on occasion a movie will pop up that blows my socks off. And for the first time in at least a couple of years, that has happened with the movie “La La Land”. “La La Land”, in case you don’t know, is an unconventional love story told with the assistance of song and dance, and includes more curve balls then Clayton Kershaw throws in one inning. In short, it’s about a jazz pianist and an aspiring actress who fall in love but face difficulties as they become successful. The movie stars Emma Stone as Mia and Ryan Gosling as Sebastian.

Warning:  The following contains some plot spoilers, so if you haven’t seen the movie, read at your own risk!

I have to say that when the opening musical sequence began in “La La Land”, I was questioning what it was I got myself in to. Thought I was watching an episode of “Fame” for a minute. But then I soon began to appreciate the actual filming of the scene, which featured one long (close to four minutes), single camera, continuous, uncut shot from the on ramp of a busy Los Angeles freeway, which the studio somehow arranged to close down for several hours. One mess up from any of the dozens of singers and dancers during those four minutes and the whole scene would have to be shot again. Much to the chagrin of the everyday drivers who couldn’t use the off ramp due to the filming. The musical number then climaxed with a scene that set the tone for the rest of the movie. So it was all for good.

Gosling tickling the ivory

This concluding scene mentioned above features a brief confrontation between Mia and Sebastian, and brings the two lead characters together for the first time, albeit briefly.  This scene also introduces one of the several reoccurring non-human characters in the movie, Sebastian’s car horn. I won’t say any more, but it’s not the last time it is heard. After the confrontation, which is initially shown through Mia’s perspective, the movie follows the Mia character throughout the rest of her day, culminating in her visiting a piano bar after being transfixed by a haunting piano tune she hears being played while walking past it later that evening. The movie then brilliantly rewinds back to the confrontation, shows it through Sebastian’s perspective, and follows him through the rest of his day, culminating, you guessed it, in him playing the song in the piano bar Mia is lured into. Hence, meeting number two.

This is just one example of the many impressive creative touches and techniques used by writer and director Damien Chazelle. In addition to Sebastian’s horn, another reoccurring character is the previously mentioned piano tune itself. The song, titled “City of Lights”, and apparently played by Gosling himself, is a real heart-tugger and is replayed during several key moments throughout the rest of the movie. Very effective.  

As mentioned earlier, Gosling’s Sebastian plays an aspiring jazz pianist who is bound and determined to save traditional jazz by opening up his own jazz club. Stone’s Mia is a hard luck aspiring actress who, like many aspiring actresses, suffers rejection after rejection at casting call auditions. Mia also works in a coffee shop on the Warner Brothers lot. Back to that later.

Ryan Gosling & Emma Stone

Once they both share their dreams with each other, they become each other’s primary source of support, encouragement, and motivation. Which predictably leads to romance, and ultimately leads to conflicts.  As an example, after her latest rejection, Sebastian encourages Mia to write her own material, which she does and then soon opens her own one person play. After it seemingly bombs, Mia returns to her parents’ home in Nevada to mentally regroup. In the meantime, Sebastian ignores his traditional jazz nightclub dream by joining up with a contemporary jazz group, and sparks fly when Mia reminds him of that. In another nice twist, it turns out that a talent scout was in one of Mia’s audiences and wants her to audition for a five month movie shoot in Paris.  Encouraged and escorted by an insistent Sebastian, Mia goes and evidently gets the part. I say evidently because we don’t actually see her get the part, but it’s heavily implied. But as she waits to find out, the two discuss how this, her going to Paris and Sebastian touring with his jazz group, will affect their relationship. They decide to “see what happens”. 

Although some curve balls have been thrown up to this point, the biggest curve ball is about to come.

The movie abruptly shifts five years forward. Mia is a big movie star, heavily applying that she indeed did land the Paris movie role she auditioned for five years earlier. This fact is revealed by another nice touch by director Chazelle. Early in the movie, Mia is shown serving a famous actress coffee in the Warner Brother lot coffee shop she works at. As the actress leaves, the eyes of leering fans follow her to a waiting golf cart ready to whisk her away to a movie set. Here, Mia is the one getting coffee in the same shop, with fans leering at her as she hops into a golf cart waiting to whisk her away. Nice touch.

La La Land director Damian Chazelle

Sebastian, in the meantime, has opened his traditional jazz club.  And it’s there where I’ll stop, as continuing will give away too much for those who haven’t seen it. I’ll only say that what transpires won’t leave everyone happy.  But I applaud the guts of Chazelle on what he did. The final five minutes, and particularly the final scene, were perfect in my view.

And I haven’t even mentioned the singing and dancing!  I’m not a huge movie musical person, but I enjoy a well made one. The singing/dancing here didn’t overwhelm the story. In fact, the routines were added at perfect times and did nothing but enhance the story and viewing experience.  And Gosling and Stone were very impressive, particularly in their dancing. Not Astaire and Rogers, who is, but they certainly held their own.

So, overall, this was one of the best movie experiences I’ve had in a long, long time. And it’s nice to see that everyone I know who’s seen it feels the same way. Plus it’s racking up the rewards, and is a heavy favorite to win the Best Picture Academy Award later this month. I’m hoping that it does! It would be well deserved.