Movie Review: La La Land
La La Land released in Ireland on the 12th of January. The Golden Globe awards were on the 8th. I live in Dublin which means I got to watch La La Land after it won pretty much all the awards it was nominated for at the Golden Globes, so needless to say, I went in with high expectations.
The film has your attention from the opening sequence. It keeps you guessing whether its actually a part of the story or a film being shot in the story. The breakout song and dance sequences through the film are an ode to American Broadway and illustrate Hollywood and its eccentricities. The oscillation between reality and the film world was amusing and an experimental way of storytelling. Hollywood though has a long way to go before they can merge their song and dance sequences within their films as seamlessly as Bollywood does!
Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone are Sebastian and Mia to their bones. Sebastian’s passion for Jazz to the point of obsession rubs off on you and find yourself rooting for him. As endearing is Mia’s perseverance in achieving her dream of being an actress. They played these characters with utmost sincerity. When they finally do make it, its heartening.
The most striking feature about the movie was the imperfection of the world portrayed. Today, with the audience being more demanding than ever, our movies have become about the minutest details being stylised. From the props in the background, to the gait of a character, everything is polished and honed to look “good”. La La Land, for a change, showcased the world as it is, beautiful in its own flawed way. It wasn’t too serious about getting people, things or situations to be pretty.
The film’s story explores the two characters, their dreams and their relationship. It was a relief to see that everything does not magically work out in the end as it so often does in the movies. This reiterates my point on imperfection. Mia and Sebastian were fine with it and this was true to their characters’ sensibilities.
While this was a new format in which to structure the story and I wouldnt mind seeing more films follow suit, this film could do with a crisper first half. I found it a tad sprawled out and the last act was a little too short. Balancing these out with a sequence on those five years in between, even by way of a song, would have been apt. I also didn’t quite understand the significance of the different acts being labeled as different seasons. It did not have any relevance to the story except maybe to ape acts in theatre plays.
Ryan Gosling on the piano is a sight to behold and the Jazz is beautifully melodious. It is not your conventional love story. For me, it was Hollywood trying to go Bollywood but getting only half way there, but I would recommend watching it for the actors.
