Last week, I decided to get in a movie theater and watch La La Land, the movie that, before it hit theaters in Puerto Rico, had already won awards for its production design, technicality, and performances. Director Damien Chazelle has won seven Golden Globes and is the expected winner of the 89th Academy Award for Best Picture. This would be the second time I would watch Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling working together and I am loving it! The chemistry they have on and off the screen is great and in the movie itself, they were mesmerizing.
At first I thought it would be one of those movies that you like, but you don’t love. I thought it was going to be a musical just like others I’ve seen before: completely catchy and utterly superficial, because the plot would be something that definitely wouldn’t happen in real life. Someone should have told me to bring some Kleenex. Never in a thousand years I would have thought Stone’s and Gosling’s portrayals would get to me as much as they did.
As the movie went along, it was undeniably a musical. Great dancing, singing and camerawork graced the screen in the first few minutes of the movie. The cast first performed “Another Day In the Sun” and “Someone In the Crowd,” both of which will leave you dancing in the aisles. When Mia (Stone) saw Sebastian (Gosling) for the first time, I had never felt so related to a character. He had finished playing the piano and she came to compliment him on his talent and he just walked away, ignoring her. It was an unexpected and rocky start to the incredible story that would unfold over the next two hours.
With the nostalgic and effortless spirit of Old Hollywood, Chazelle made everything in the movie seem possible – even the part where they twirl in the stars. Mia and Sebastian spend a year together in an amazingly fun, crazy and almost perfect relationship. La La Land is a lovely portrait of the excitement of young love, with all its thrills and pitfalls. Big decisions are made, and the characters soon learn that the sunshine of their La La Land is, well…watch the movie.
This production was not only perfect in every single aspect, the perfect actors, characters, the perfect music, and costumes. Even the casual looks were perfect. The story will be an emotional rollercoaster with an ending that could be sad for some and happy for others. The plot, the storyline was relatable, and something we have all gone through at some point in our lives. In my case, my Sebastian gave me a energetic relationship just as crazy as Mia’s and Sebastian’s. La La Land reminds us of those people in our lives who left their mark and that changed us in some way, and helped us in achieving our dreams. It’s been a week and that song Sebastian played on the piano still makes my chin tremble like a baby.
If you’re longing to listen to the songs again, you can find the soundtrack on Spotify! They are true works of art.