LA LA LAND

REVIEWS NO-ONE ASKED FOR
by Ashton Brown

LA LA LAND

written & directed by Damien Chazelle

SUPRISED

I probably never would have watched La La Land had I not wanted to review it for my blog. There are so many films to watch and only so much time in a week that a musical is usually last on my film watching agenda. However when more and more people started asking me "have you seen La La Land" I became intrigued. This intrigue was turned to straight up interest when people had such strong reactions to the film. Either people loved it or they hated it. There was no middle ground. A friend of mine even went as far as saying "it's one of the worst films I have ever sat through." Then when it cleaned out the Oscar nominations I decided I just had to see it to see what the hell everyone was so bloody polarised about.

I sat down with my wife and it began. After the first song I said something along the lines of "if the whole movie is like this can we stop watching it?" I had pretty much already decided it wasn't my cup of tea and that I was going to be on the side of viewers who didn't understand the hype. Which is, to be honest, how I felt about it before we had even seen the first song. But then I was suprised.

I enjoyed the second song. Then the third. The fourth. All of them. Whilst the singing and dancing of the two leads (Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone) wasn't always the most life changingly amazing  dancing and singing - there was something about that that for me added to the appeal and their performances and chemistry between the songs was exceptional. I couldn't believe it was happening. I was enjoying La La Land. In fact - I was loving it.

Whilst parts of it seemed to pay a homage to films of the past, it also beautifully intertwined the elements of a musical into the modern day for new audiences. The direction took inspiration from generations of cinema to provide a fluid, beautiful and at times eccentric journey through the struggles of a creative with dreams of fame.

Whilst the story was nothing overly original I thought the elements that were used to tell the story provided a unique and fresh take on an old story. It didn't end with a suggestion that we can always have everything we want if we "set our minds to it" - I didn't find the film patronising - which is often the case with films about success in the arts.

Overall I was left pretty satisfied by the film. The choice to cast actors rather than strictly singers/dancers in the lead roles played into the films success more than not as the strength of the performances and the emotion that was portrayed, for me, outdid any need for insanely ridiculous choreography. It made the performers more real and believable. I was actually invested in them both, their relationship and their journey. I wanted to see how things worked out for them.

At the end of it all the thing I am the most confused about is why the film was so dividing. Sure it's not everyone's cup of tea - hell I'm surpised it was mine -  but I was expecting something that was so clearly divisive of different audiences either through it's direction or it's storytelling which I really didn't see. Why did everyone have such polarising opinions about it?

More discussion is necessary I'm sure.

Well worth the watch.

4 out of 5  

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