Nominated For: Best Picture, Best Director; Damien Chazelle, Best Actor; Ryan Gosling, Best Actress; Emma Stone, Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing, Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Original Song "Audition (The Fools Who Dream)" (written by Justin Hurwitz, Benj Pasek, and Justin Paul), Best Original Song "City of Stars" (written by Justin Hurwitz, Benj Pasek, and Justin Paul), and Best Original Score.
Won: Best Picture, Best Director; Damien Chazelle, Best Actress; Emma Stone, Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Original Song "City of Stars" (written by Justin Hurwitz, Benj Pasek, and Justin Paul), and Best Original Score.
La La Land is a musical that tells the story of a chance encounter during a LA traffic jam between Mia, an aspiring actress who hopes to make it big, and Sebastian, a gifted jazz pianist who dreams of opening his own jazz club, and the intertwining of the fates from that point on.
La La Land is the first original live action cinematic musical since Newsies written and directed by up-and-comer Damien Chazelle, the writer-director behind Whiplash, and currently stands as one of the major contenders this awards season. Chazelle clearly is passionate about music, jazz music in particular, and that's heavily evidenced in La La Land. Chazelle channels his admirations into a musical that not only pays homage to old-school Hollywood musicals with illustrious song and dance numbers that will sweep you off your feet but maintains realism with its modern scope and setting. Chazelle's screenplay doesn't simply glorify all that comes with pursuing your dreams but actually points out that success often comes at the cost of personal sacrifice.
Elsewhere, La La Land's technical elements prove to be up to snuff as cinematographer Linus Sandgren captures stupendous one-take sequences, editor Tom Cross gives the musical the alluring air of a classic MGM musical, and the colorful costuming and picture-perfect production design make a quant backdrop to the sensational musical numbers that are extremely well-choreographed by Mandy Moore.
Justin Hurwitz composes a engrossing array of music with jazzy jives, romantic refrains, and tender tunes including the upbeat opening number "Another Day Of Sun", optimistic anthem "Someone In The Crowd", swinging tap number "A Lovely Night", the pleasant melody "City of Stars", and Emma Stone's sensational solo "Audition (The Fools Who Dream)" to name a few standouts.
La La Land also happens to feature an exceptional pair of leads as Emma Stone puts her best foot forward bringing an earnest, hopeful, and optimistic persona to Mia and Ryan Gosling channels charming sensibilities and a passionate demeanor into Sebastian.The chemistry between the two is magical and the basis of the film's idyllic aura. Both knocked my socks off with their musical repertoire, dancing with sharp precision and singing their hearts out, and Gosling even learned how to play piano (which is evidenced in some long takes). The film's supporting cast largely play second fiddle to the ongoing romance but John Legend gets a crowd-pleasing song with "Start A Fire" and J.K. Simmons plays a bitter restaurant manager and both are fine in the capacity utilized.
In conclusion, La La Land is definitely one of the best films this year thanks to brilliant direction, a vibrant color palette enhanced by dreamy cinematography, a pair of leads with enchanting chemistry, and extraordinary music. La La Land really is cinematic bliss and truly an escapist's wonder to behold.
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