LA LA LAND - AN ENTRANCING AND ENCHANTING MUSICAL
LA LA LAND - AN ENTRANCING AND ENCHANTING MUSICAL
When Sebastian Wilder (Ryan Gosling), a pianist, and Mia Dolan (Emma Stone), an actress, follow their passion and achieve success in their respective fields, they find themselves torn between their love for each other and their careers.
La La Land is a "charming 21st-century musical" starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone.
La La Land (2016) is an American musical romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Damien Chazelle, starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone as a struggling jazz pianist and an aspiring actress who fall in love while pursuing their dreams in Los Angeles.
Set in modern-day Los Angeles, the plot follows the two characters as they fall in love while pursuing their respective artistic dreams, only to find their relationship strained by their growing success.
La La Land (2016) was a massive awards-season juggernaut, famously winning 6 Oscars, a record-breaking 7 Golden Globes, 8 Critics' Choice Awards, and 3 BAFTA Awards. However, it infamously lost the Best Picture Oscar to Moonlight due to a historic envelope mix-up.
La La Land is a 2016 American musical romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Damien Chazelle. It stars Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone as a struggling jazz pianist and an aspiring actress who meet and fall in love while pursuing their dreams in Los Angeles. The supporting cast includes John Legend, Rosemarie DeWitt, Finn Wittrock, and J. K. Simmons.
Having been fond of musicals during his time as a drummer, Chazelle first conceptualized the film alongside Justin Hurwitz while attending Harvard University together. After moving to Los Angeles in 2010, Chazelle penned the script but did not find a studio willing to finance the production without changes to his design. After the success of his film Whiplash (2014), the project was picked up by Summit Entertainment. Miles Teller and Emma Watson were originally in talks to star, but after both dropped out, Gosling and Stone were cast. Filming took place in Los Angeles between August and September 2015, with the film's score composed by Hurwitz, who also wrote the film's songs with lyricists Benj Pasek and Justin Paul and the dance choreography by Mandy Moore.
La La Land premiered at the 73rd Venice International Film Festival on August 31, 2016, and was released theatrically in the United States on December 9 by Lionsgate. The film emerged as a major commercial success, grossing $447 million worldwide during its initial run, and received widespread acclaim from critics, particularly for Chazelle's direction and screenplay, the performances of Gosling and Stone, the score, musical numbers, cinematography, visual style, costumes, and production design. It went on to receive numerous accolades, including winning a record seven awards at the 74th Golden Globe Awards and receiving eleven nominations at the 70th British Academy Film Awards, winning five, including Best Film. The film also received a record-tying fourteen nominations at the 89th Academy Awards, winning in six categories including Best Director and Best Actress (Stone). Its loss in the Best Picture category (to Moonlight) made it the most-nominated film at the Oscars to lose Best Picture, until Sinners' loss (to One Battle After Another) in 2026. At age 32, Chazelle became the youngest winner of Best Director. It has since been regarded as one of the best films of the 2010s and the 21st century, and as one of the best musical films of all time. As of February 2023, a stage musical adaptation is in the works.
Plot Summary:
Set in modern-day Los Angeles, the film follows an aspiring actress and a jazz musician as they pursue their dreams while navigating a romantic relationship. The story explores ambition, love, compromise, and the challenges of chasing personal and professional goals.
In sun-kissed Los Angeles, a pair of morning commuters jammed on a wide stretch of highway are off to a rocky start. But suave Sebastian, a charming jazz pianist whom life's got him on the ropes, and lovely Mia, a brilliant playwright and an aspiring actress waiting for her big break, are meant for each other. On the one hand, Sebastian thinks he has a serious plan for the future. On the other hand, Mia squanders herself in meaningless auditions, mesmerized by old Hollywood glamour. However, as the incurable romantics keep running into each other under the city's starry nights and plum-hued sunrises, a magical, old-school tap-dance romance timidly begins. Such is the power of effervescent love: it inspires people to have long walks while gazing at the colorful Milky Way of the city's flickering lights. But life is as exciting as it is challenging. After all, no one knows what tomorrow holds. And as the young idealists veer from their dreams, questions arise. Does true love exist only in movies? Do dreams come true in real life?
SYNOPSIS:
On a crowded Los Angeles highway ("Another Day of Sun"), Mia (Emma Stone), an on-studio barista and aspiring actress, has a moment of road rage with Sebastian (Ryan Gosling), a struggling jazz pianist. Mia was busy rehearsing her lines during a traffic jam, and Sebastian was right behind her when the traffic started moving. Sebastian honks at Mia's car and then flips her off while driving past her.
Mia's subsequent audition goes poorly despite her efforts because the casting director takes a phone call during an emotional scene. That night, Mia's roommates Alexis (Jessica Rothe), Caitlin (Sonoya Mizuno), and Tracy (Callie Hernandez) take her to a lavish party in the Hollywood Hills to cheer her up ("Someone in the Crowd"), promising her that someone in the crowd could jump-start her career. She has to take a long walk back after finding that her car has been towed.
The same night, during a gig at a restaurant, Sebastian slips into a passionate jazz improvisation despite warnings from the owner, Bill (J. K. Simmons), to only play songs on the set list. Bill wanted Sebastian to stick to Christmas-themed songs on the piano, but Sebastian was passionate about Jazz and felt that the restaurant had a "one for you, one for me" type of system. He argued that nobody in the restaurant would care about what he played, but Bill was adamant.
Mia overhears the music as she passes by ("Mia and Sebastian's Theme"). Moved, she enters, but Sebastian is promptly fired for his disobedience. As he storms out, Mia attempts to compliment him, but he coldly brushes her off. Sebastian has a sister named Laura (Rosemarie DeWitt) who is very critical of his casual lifestyle. Laura says that Seb is living like a hermit and driving without insurance, both of which are not OK.
Mia continues to attend auditions for various roles. Months later, Mia runs into Sebastian at a party where he plays in a 1980s pop cover band, and she teases him. After the gig, the two walk together to find their cars, lamenting being in each other's company despite the chemistry between them ("A Lovely Night"). While walking, they come across a breathtaking view of the city from a high point. They are interrupted when Mia receives a call from her boyfriend Greg (Finn Wittrock), and this is also when they both find their cars.
The next day, Sebastian arrives at the barista where Mia works. Sebastian claims that he was at the studio for meetings. Mia takes Sebastian on a walk around the movie lot, explaining her passion for acting. She narrates how she lived with her aunt in Boulder, Colorado, and her house was across the street from a library. Her aunt encouraged her to visit the library, which had prints of old movies that she watched and recreated scenes from these movies back at home with her aunt. She left college to come to LA to become an actress.
Sebastian takes Mia to a jazz club, describing his passion for jazz and desire to open his own club. They warm to each other ("City of Stars"). Sebastian invites Mia to a screening of Rebel Without a Cause, which Mia accepts, forgetting an earlier commitment with her current boyfriend. Discontented with that date, she leaves and rushes to the theater, finding Sebastian as the film begins. When the screening is interrupted by a projector malfunction, Seb and Mia spend the rest of the evening together with a romantic visit to the Griffith Observatory.
After more failed auditions, Mia decides, at Sebastian's suggestion, to write a personal single-actress play. Sebastian begins to perform regularly at the jazz club ("Summer Montage") and the two move in together. A high school classmate, Keith (John Legend), invites Sebastian to be the keyboardist in his jazz band, which offers a steady source of income. Sebastian is dismayed over the band's pop-oriented style but decides to sign with them after overhearing Mia trying to convince her mother that Sebastian is working on his career. Mia attends one of their concerts ("Start a Fire") but is disturbed, knowing Sebastian could not possibly enjoy his band's music.
During the band's first tour, Mia confronts Sebastian over his future and goals. Sebastian responds by claiming a steady career is what she wanted for him before accusing her of liking him more when he was unsuccessful because it made her feel better about herself. Insulted, Mia leaves. On the night of Mia's play, Sebastian fails to show up due to a photo shoot he had forgotten about. The play fails, very few people attend, and Mia overhears dismissive comments about her performance. Unable to forgive him for missing her play and their previous argument, Mia returns to her hometown of Boulder City, Nevada.
One day, Sebastian receives a call from a casting director who had attended Mia's play, inviting Mia to a film audition the following evening. Knowing that this could be her big break, he drives in a hurry to Boulder City and finds her house since he remembered that she lived across the street from the library, where she fell in love with acting. Seb persuades her to attend, and she reluctantly agrees.
For the audition, Mia is asked to tell a story. She begins to sing about her aunt, a one-time stage actress who eventually died from alcoholism, which inspired her to chase her dreams ("Audition/The Fools Who Dream"). Sebastian, confident that the audition was a success, asserts that Mia must devote herself wholeheartedly to the opportunity. The two then recognize that they will always love each other despite what may come for their relationship.
Five years later, Mia is a famous actress and happily married to another man, David (Tom Everett Scott), with whom she has a daughter. One night, the couple stumble upon a jazz bar. Noticing the Seb's logo, which she had once designed, Mia realizes Sebastian has finally opened his club. Sebastian spots Mia in the crowd. He begins to play their love theme ("Epilogue"), prompting an extended dream sequence in which the two imagine what might have been had their relationship worked perfectly. The song ends, and Mia leaves with her husband. Before exiting, she shares one last look with Sebastian and smiles.
USER REVIEW:
Reviewers say 'La La Land' dazzles with stunning cinematography and Damien Chazelle's masterful direction, while Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling deliver charismatic performances with palpable chemistry. However, opinions sharply divide on the musical score's memorability, dance choreography's execution, and the writing's depth. Some found it a refreshingly original, entrancing experience, while others criticized forgettable music, simplistic plotting, and questioned the leads' singing abilities. The film's romantic elements and engagement levels proved particularly polarizing among audiences.
Another user review says, "By any chance I could give this 11/10, or a few more Oscars, just for being so Oscary... such a splendidly heartwarming experience".
La La Land (2016) is famous for seamlessly blending classic Hollywood musical charm with a grounded, bittersweet modern romance. Its massive acclaim stems from the undeniable chemistry between Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, its visually stunning, nostalgic cinematography, and its hauntingly beautiful, original soundtrack.
- Griffith Observatory: Located on the slopes of Mount Hollywood, this is the site of the famous planetarium dance.
- The Lighthouse Cafe: A historic jazz club situated in Hermosa Beach.
- Angels Flight Railway: The famous funicular railway in downtown Los Angeles.
The Encyclopedia Britannica features two main references for "La La Land": the critically acclaimed 2016 musical film directed by Damien Chazelle, and "la-la land," which is both a famous nickname for Los Angeles and a phrase for being out of touch with reality.
The movie has a runtime of 2 hours and 8 minutes.
To abridge, "La La Land" is a beautiful, interesting, and incredible film.
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