La La Land
20/01/17 Filed in: Cinema
We went to see La La Land this week. For a change I found myself going to watch a film that had received almost unblemished positive reviews. So did it warrant the hype?
It's a homage to the classic Hollywood musicals and perhaps that's what's holding me back from saying, "Yes, it was everything I expected, a truly wonderful movie." Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone are faultless as two young people navigating the uncompromising pitfalls of show business in Los Angeles, but they're not Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. It is, therefore, in my opinion wrong to compare it with the remarkable musicals of yesteryear. Once you put that comparison aside then, yes, it is wonderful.
In the opening sequence a 'spontaneous' song and dance routine breaks the monotony of an LA traffic jam. It's fun but I'm not sure that it will stick in the eternal memory in the same way as Fame or Grease Lightning. But it serves to introduce us to Sebastian (Gosling) and Mia (Stone). Sebastian is a frustrated jazz pianist working as a purveyor of trite melodies to diners in a club, a job that's clearly driving him mad. Mia, meanwhile, is working in a diner while trying to break into acting. I found the initial audition scene quite amazing and, quite frankly, if they rejected her, as they did, then whoever got the job must have been truly gifted. Emma Stone is an amazing actress even when she's acting at being a not-so-amazing actress.
It's a homage to the classic Hollywood musicals and perhaps that's what's holding me back from saying, "Yes, it was everything I expected, a truly wonderful movie." Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone are faultless as two young people navigating the uncompromising pitfalls of show business in Los Angeles, but they're not Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. It is, therefore, in my opinion wrong to compare it with the remarkable musicals of yesteryear. Once you put that comparison aside then, yes, it is wonderful.
In the opening sequence a 'spontaneous' song and dance routine breaks the monotony of an LA traffic jam. It's fun but I'm not sure that it will stick in the eternal memory in the same way as Fame or Grease Lightning. But it serves to introduce us to Sebastian (Gosling) and Mia (Stone). Sebastian is a frustrated jazz pianist working as a purveyor of trite melodies to diners in a club, a job that's clearly driving him mad. Mia, meanwhile, is working in a diner while trying to break into acting. I found the initial audition scene quite amazing and, quite frankly, if they rejected her, as they did, then whoever got the job must have been truly gifted. Emma Stone is an amazing actress even when she's acting at being a not-so-amazing actress.
Sebastian and Mia don't get off to a very good start, but when Mia hears him playing a 'rogue' tune, which actually gets him fired from the club, she is totally absorbed. This marks the beginning of a beautiful if slow-growing relationship that treats us to singing, dancing and tender romance. Of course, the path of true love is never easy, and as both of them pursue their dream careers it is inevitable that this will put a strain on their relationship. In Sebastian's case it is when he joins a band producing 'modern' music, something that surprises Mia, and a move that means he will be touring. For Mia, the turning point is when she decides to write, produce and act out a one-night-only one-woman play, which while far from being a success, does ultimately lead to a surprising turn of events. Sebastian decision to attend a photo-shoot with the band and not see Mia's performance is, of course, an unforgivable mistake and the breaking point for Mia.
Mia returns to her parents but while there Sebastian gets a call for her from a casting agent. This then marks the turn in Mia's fortunes and the two of them effectively choose their respective careers over their relationship.
The story then jumps forward five years where we see how Sebastian and Mia's lives have panned out. Of course they meet again, but things are complicated, and the ending is likely to upset quite a few people. Depending on your point of view, the ending either makes a good movie into a fantastic one, or it comes across as a total betrayal. Go watch it and see what you think.
Mia returns to her parents but while there Sebastian gets a call for her from a casting agent. This then marks the turn in Mia's fortunes and the two of them effectively choose their respective careers over their relationship.
The story then jumps forward five years where we see how Sebastian and Mia's lives have panned out. Of course they meet again, but things are complicated, and the ending is likely to upset quite a few people. Depending on your point of view, the ending either makes a good movie into a fantastic one, or it comes across as a total betrayal. Go watch it and see what you think.