Tap. Tap. Tap.
Hollywood is knee deep into award season, and still I tap my foot anxiously awaiting a particular awards show. The Academy Awards, otherwise known as the “Oscars,” is a televised program dedicated to the art of film. Like the Screen Actors Guild Awards and the Golden Globe Awards, the Oscars commends and rewards an array of actors and production teams for their cinematic achievements. A large number of prestigious awards have already been distributed amongst the stars. With that being said, it may seem wasteful for one to predict the Oscar winners. In spite of this, I place my bets on La La Land, in hopes that it will win “Best Picture.” Admittedly, my prediction is not courageous. The movie has already won 16 awards and is nominated for 14 Academy Awards.
La La Land is extremely deserving of its success as it illuminates the cultural connection of music and art while capturing the human truths of dreams versus reality.
Will I La La Like It?
When developing a movie, it is difficult to offer audiences cinematic content that is considered fresh and original. This task is made doubly difficult when the movie falls under the genre of a musical. In an increasingly cynical world, many would see the musical as an art form that is no longer relevant or obnoxious, just as ‘Glee’ evolved to be. They are often seen as too detached from reality, and thus unable to give anything of value to the viewers. Walking into the theater, I was not optimistic. My lack of optimism rooted from the fact that more and more, Hollywood seems to be losing its originality. Remakes almost seem to be the norm.
Recent Remakes – To Name A Few
Don’t even get me started on Star Wars or Star Trek.
In my mind, the only thing that could possibly save La La Land was its director, Damien Chazelle. My trust for the work of Chazelle stemmed from his 2014 film Whiplash, in which he challenged the concept of mastery and constructive criticism.
Beyond it’s praise, some critics have challenged the popularity of La La Land. The film has even been called dull. This tag has been attributed to the middle of the film as it is primarily focused on the characters separate career paths. And, as a musical, the vocal and dance ability of Emma Stone as Mia and Ryan Gosling as Sebastian has also been put into question.
Given this information, I was afraid that La La Land would be a bore or another remake, copying the musical greats and giving the audience nothing new. But this couldn’t be further from the truth.
Here’s To The Ones Who Dream
As Alphonse de Lamartine once said, “music is the literature of the heart; it commences where speech ends.” I refer to this quote because it supports the power of music. Music is an aural experience that has the capability of reflecting ones own thoughts and feelings. This kind of capability plays a significant role in La La Land. Of course, the score is tailored to the story of an aspiring actress and jazz musician. However, this powerful score is much like a hand that reaches out for the audience to take hold of. Damien Chazelle turned to Justin Hurwitz to compose a score that would ensure this kind of connection. Inspired by ‘60s French musicals, Hurwitz created music that was energetic, romantic, whimsical, and bittersweet. These elements were enhanced when Benj Pasek and Justin Paul added lyrics to Hurwitz’ score.
And while Gosling and Stone are not the most talented singers or dancers, they are a magical pair. Their chemistry and performance brings the script and score to life.
Take A Listen
All together, the music of La La Land commences a speech for dreamers. The composition of La La Land pulls at your heart. It is everything Hurwitz aimed for it to be, but most importantly it results in a nostalgic, relevant experience. It causes any viewer to become reminiscent of their very own dreams.
Another Day of Sun, Another Day of Reality
Music is not the only art form that exists in La La Land as it is also visually captivating. Despite its visuals, La La Land exhibits art in its storyline. As one may argue, art is similar to magic and even pushes boundaries. Art can be touched, smelled, heard, or seen. Art brings people together by presenting an idea that one can connect to. La La Land does just that.
On the surface, La La Land is a movie about two young people, Mia and Sebastian, who are trying to make it in Los Angeles. With music, dance, and humor they tackle some big issues: having and losing faith in yourself, following and giving up on your dreams, etc. However, their story echoes the art of storytelling as it touches on the human truth of reality.
Without giving away any spoilers, an alternative scenario is presented at the end of the film. This scene represents our natural response as humans to become subject to curiosity. We often wonder how things might have been, if we had made a different choice. Would we be better off now? Would we be closer to fulfilling our dreams? Unfortunately, there is not a real way to tell. In this scene, La La Land does its best to address these doubts. The alternate timeline is no better or worse than the real timeline. It’s just different. There’s a bittersweet truth to that. Things will be as they will be. It would seem that Mia and Sebastian have come to terms with this ideology. And in turn, it allows them to share something beautiful. They both helped each other realize their own dreams.
I think this story sets La La Land apart from other films as it teaches us that there is no one answer to life, something audience members can take comfort in.
Fin
With breathtaking cinematography, combined with a transcendent score that mirrors dreams and beautifully reflects reality through the art of storytelling, La La Land is a film of cultural meaning. La La Land is a film to root for.
Sarah Rotte 
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