By Megan Doyle ’18
“La La Land” won several Golden Globe awards – and it completely deserved them. This two hour musical masterpiece was absolutely stunning in all aspects, including scoring, acting, dancing, and cinematography.
I have to admit, I was a bit wary when I found out this was a musical. But, the music fit seamlessly into the plot, and it did not disappoint. The movie featured nods to musicals, including a few well-placed spotlights, as well as perfectly integrating aspects of movies.
“La La Land” is set in, you guessed it, LA. It follows an aspiring actor, played by the adorable Emma Stone, and Ryan Gosling, a struggling jazz musician. The two of them swept the audience off their feet with a show-stopping, exceptional performance. And contrary to my original belief, they can sing very well.
The movie was separated into five different sections, based on the seasons. Opening with a classic LA traffic jam, the crowd of brightly dressed people jumped out of their cars and sang about the beautiful, sunny day. It is immediately followed by the oxymoronic word “Winter” plastered across the screen.
And it just got better from here; multiple emotional scenes filled with exceptional dancing, singing and breathtaking acting were sincere, and extremely well written.
The only scene I didn’t particularly enjoy was the observatory. Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling floated through the stars, which was a bit over-the-top for my taste. Unlike the majority of the numbers in “La La Land,” this seemed unfathomable and a bit too sappy.
Damien Chazell, the writer, did a fantastic job with this completely original story. Although the ending was a bit confusing at first (I won’t get into details), it concluded nicely and left the viewer satisfied, yet still wanting more.
The story, even though it followed a couple, thankfully did not focus on the romantic aspects of their relationship. Instead, it showed the ways they supported each other throughout their hardships of acting and singing, and each of their dreams shared the limelight.
Overall, “La La Land” was a phenomenal film, filled with noteworthy musical numbers and unbelievable acting. Although nobody claps at the end of movies, this film deserves a round of applause and all of the Golden Globe awards possible.
