La La Land

An original musical? Those things usually exist on Broadway. But for his followup to Whiplash, writer/director Damien Chazelle has made a rousing original movie musical. This is La La Land.

Once upon a time, which is now, Sebastian and Mia live in that City of Stars, Los Angeles. Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) is a Jazz pianist who wants to open his own Jazz club while Mia (Emma Stone) is a barista who hopes to break into acting. They bump into each other a few times. Sparks soon fly between them no matter how much they deny it in song. Then they stop denying it. They spend the rest of the movie finding their dreams and relationship tested by reality.

Justin Hurwitz's score and the songs he co-wrote with Benj Pasek and Justin Paul are unforgettable. The film opens with a rousing crowd number on a crowded Los Angeles freeway as hopeful drivers greet Another Day of Sun. The number is so energetic it's hard not to smile. The pseudo one-take sequence should earn editor Tom Cross another Oscar and cinematographer Linus Sandgren his first. The instrumental score sets the right mood to the film's wonderful fantasy sequences. Speaking of those scenes, those should secure another Oscar for the vibrant production design.

It helps that the leads are great. The audience is drawn to their idealism and feels for them after every setback. Some setbacks are funny and others are not. Their first duet, A Lovely Night, is a fun way to start a relationship. Their later duet, City of Stars, is another memorable ballad. Mia's climactic number, Audition, is a powerful moment. They're so involving that the ending is sure to stir debate.

La La Land is a fine example of style-and-substance together. The film's 128 minutes tell a meaningful story of people wondering if their dreams are worth it. The audience sees how they are as long as they are persistent in doing what they love. It took five years (and Whiplash) before Chazelle got the greenlight for La La Land. The investment was worth it for everyone involved.