Directed by: Damien Chazelle
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, John Legend, JK Simmons, Rosemarie DeWitt
The first 20 minutes or so of La La Land were not promising. The opening dance number on a jam-packed LA freeway reminded me of one of those unwelcome musical numbers you see on Oscar telecasts. You know, the ones you wish would end so they could give out some awards? I thought I was in for a harkening back to the glory days of movie musicals that no one was clamoring for. But, then once La La Land got down to business, it engaged me. Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone have a nice, unforced chemistry, are passable singers, and we find ourselves immersed in their journey. That, and the musical and dance numbers became fewer and far between.
Gosling and Stone (in their third movie pairing following 2011's Crazy Stupid Love and the forgettable Gangster Squad (2013) are Sebastian and Mia, a struggling jazz pianist and actress, respectively, whose dreams of stardom are dying on the vine. Sebastian is a jazz purist, which means he pauses when a former bandmate (Legend) asks him to join his jazz fusion group which may, gasp, actually become popular. Mia is a barista on the Warner Brothers studio lot who frequently serves movie stars and is so close, yet so far, from being in the movies herself. Her auditions don't usually go well. Most times, the casting agents can't be bothered to look up from their cell phones. The constant rejection is eroding Mia's confidence and smile, which Sebastian helps to restore after a few false starts to their relationship.
Sebastian dreams of opening a pure jazz club where "real jazz" lives and breathes. In the interim, he is forced to take gigs as a lounge piano player in which the owner (Simmons) insists he play Christmas songs and as a keyboard player in an 80s cover band. To say Sebastian looks unhappy playing these gigs is a true understatement. He and Mia have a few near misses before finally becoming a couple pursuing their individual dreams. Things are good at first, but once Sebastian joins his friend's band and tours nonstop, the relationship suffers and the two drift apart. We care for Sebastian and Mia. They emerge as smart, unique individuals who are perfect for each other if only they can fully see it.
The final act goes in directions we don't necessarily anticipate. It involves a good deal of unselfishness on Sebastian's part to help Mia even as their relationship is on the rocks. We are moved by how much they care for one another. Mia matter-of-factly states, "I will always love you,". Her line reading here is perfect. She and Sebastian seem to understand and accept that the fulfillment of their dreams may not necessarily include each other. Each may have to go on his or her own path. Are they willing to do this and forsake their relationship? The final fantasy montage of what might have been shows that they may, but there will always be regret and winsome longing attached to it.
La La Land is a musical study of dreams deferred and dreams achieved, with side effects that include broken hearts and broken relationships. This is essentially a two-character movie, with Gosling and Stone playing people we grow to care for and even love. Writer/director Chazelle, like in Whiplash (2014), poses questions about what someone would be willing to endure in the quest for fame and art. The film is visually stunning, with bright colors and sunshine sometimes belying the pain underneath. What would have made La La Land a truly great film? No songs or dance numbers, I'd say.
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