La La Land

UK Release Date: 13 January 2017

Certification: 12A
Director: Damien Chazelle
Cast: Ryan Gosling, John Legend, J.K. Simmons, Emma Stone

Rating: 96%

Review:

Continuing with my new found love for Damien Chazelle, La La Land is his examination of being able to follow your passion trapped in the constraints of a charming musical. An exuberant glorification of Los Angeles compared to the cynical narrative present in Babylon. What begins as a glamorous and energetic tale of romance finishes in complete devastation - a metaphorical depiction of betrayal present in the medium of film. La La Land is a punch to the gut. By the end of the film I was left in floods of tears. 

The wave of emotion is predominantly down to the excellence of Justin Hurwitz's jazz-centric score - who picked up an Academy Award for his efforts. 'Mia & Sebastian's Theme' is absurdly painful to experience. A heartbreaking piece of music that becomes increasingly delicate as different renditions play out. The softness and fragility of keys of the piano indicate a sorrowful undertone. 

La La Land is riddled with musical numbers that compliment Hurwitz's composition to a tee. He plays into the theatrical performances with ease, allowing for the playfulness of songs to climax before finishing with his graceful score. The choreography is systematically shot in a striking manner, ensuring originality remains key. 

Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone give two of the most expressive performances in recent history - both received an Oscar nomination with Stone winning the award. After apparent on-screen chemistry in Crazy, Stupid, Love. and Gangster Squad, the two return to completely sell the audience on the 'right person, wrong time' viewpoint of love. They have an innate ability to turn in a picturesque portrayal of each human emotion in a short time frame. Mia and Sebastian are two characters engulfed by far-fetched dreams and aspirations. Dreams that dictate their lives for better or for worse. 

Damien Chazelle's direction is again phenomenal alongside his symmetry with Tom Cross' enthralling editing. The manner in which Chazelle is able to control the camera is fantastic. He makes every frame look seamless to film. Fluid movements, calming transitions but fast paced cuts. The flawless technical nature of La La Land benefits from Linus Sandgren's sensational cinematography. He uses the whole spectrum of colour contrasting with lighting cues illuminating  emotional scenes. That brings La La Land to life.