La La Land

It's hard to imagine a movie in recent memory that's gone through more over-hype and immediate backlash over said hype than La La Land. Usually we have to get through the entire awards season including the Oscars, before audiences and critics begin to turn against front-runners, but even before the Golden Globes people seemed to be drawing lines in the sand over either their favorite movie of the year or the epitome of overrated. Part of me understands it as audiences dying for an old-fashioned musical were frothing at the idea of two Hollywood heavyweights going Golden Age, while people who despise musicals and agreeable but over-hyped movies they simply don't get were quick to point out flaws and champion other films as praise-worthy. So which side is right? Well neither, and I'll explain why in today's review.

The movie takes place in modern Los Angeles, with two residents looking to break big in artistic fields. Emma Stone's Mia in an aspiring actress tired of the audition grind, while Ryan Gosling is a jazz snob looking to revitalize one of the L.A.'s former hot spots. After a number of coincidental meet-ups, the pair begins a passionate romance that may either inspire or destroy their artistic dreams.

After finally seeing this movie, I can see why it resonates with a lot of people. There's the spirit and glow of fifties Hollywood musicals, the direction and design is phenomenal, and the lead performances are exceptionally charming. All with the added bonus of being brand spanking new.

The old fashioned appeal of the film is emphasized heavily in the film's sound and look which goes for jazzy group pieces and heartfelt ballads combined with costumes meant to be seen in old time Technicolor. L.A. is presented as bright bustling entity, and scenes like Stone and Gosling's tap dance at night are legitimately charming (even while being excessively cheesy). The movie also features a finale that will likely determine your entire view of the film, and is a masterclass in effective visual storytelling.

However, the main appeals of the film are the lead performances from Stone and Gosling. These two have had excellent screen chemistry for years in multiple movies, and this script gives them each a chance to show off their best attributes as actors while letting the sparks fly. Stone arguably gets the weightier scenes including the movie's most heart-breaking ballad, and manages to pull so much emotion in the fake auditions that you wonder why anyone ever passed her over. She also still has full mastery over her comedy chops and gently flirtations which shine through in the banter scenes.

Gosling's role is less complex but still plenty of fun. It's a mixture of his bumbling idiot from The Nice Guys and bravado from films like Crazy, Stupid, Love that works perfectly against Stone. He also gets plenty of scenes to show off his signature stoic broodiness which is a familiar but fitting autopilot.

As charming as this all is, the flaws or weakness in the film are pretty obvious. The story is a familiar retread of any "making it big" movie you can think of, with the added wrinkle that neither one has achieved their vision of success yet. You don't need an original story for an effective film, but in terms of thematic depth there isn't a ton to be had.

Likewise, for a movie musical I found it a little startling that I couldn't remember a single song from this movie once the credits started to roll. I had a melody line or two, but from a song structure standpoint none of the film's big numbers have a chorus that's truly memorable. I know some will disagree but I doubt I'm the only person that came away with a similar revelation.

There are other little imperfections including a notable drag in the third act, and perhaps some smaller voices than you'd expect for a film musical, but the big sticking point for a lot of people is Ryan Gosling's one man crusade to save jazz. I kinda get what director Damien Chazelle was going for, since Gosling is clearly a snob who feels artistically snubbed when he compromises, and is surrounded by African-American musicians.  But having someone who looks like Gosling declaring that he's going to be the person to save a signature jazz spot or the genre itself (in a movie where the representation of selling out classic jazz comes from John Legend) it comes across as a bit tone deaf. It's not movie destroying in my mind, but there are better avenues for the story (i.e. make Gosling part of a group that's looking to save jazz or a follower of a noted jazz legend).

In short, your view of La La Land is likely going to depend on your emotional investment in the characters and your feelings for old-time musicals. The movie undeniably well-directed and acted but that's not going to matter if you can't stand the film's style.

Undeniably nostalgic and old-fashioned La La Land may not be the breath-taking new direction for filmmaking but it is charming musical with a committed cast and impressive production values. By now you can probably guess if this one is for you.