While a certain amount of Hype Backlash has been made concerning the massive influx of popularity garnered by La La Land, claims that it pales in comparison to classic epic romances like Titanic or Gone with the Wind seem to neglect that a movie offering such parallels must be doing something right. To put things lightly, there are many, many things that elevate this movie to admirable heights.
The two leads, played by Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, immediately cement their status as two individuals stubborn enough to continue their fruitless paths to success without a second thought. It isn't until they meet that they decide to maybe try things differently. There is enough ground at the beginning to cement the two as a cute, believable pair, though my biggest problem with La La Land is that while Stone and Gosling have an undeniable chemistry, they seem too engulfed in their own acts to drive it all the way home. Fortunately, this reflects their own characters' dilemmas, and while it doesn't save their romance, it does indeed reinforce the movie’s overall theme.
This is not a movie about a couple whose love triumphs at the end—hell, Damien Chazelle even hooks up the two characters in the middle of the movie because he wants us to enjoy it while it lasts. This is a movie about those real loves we feel throughout our lives, and the dedications we make in our memories that make up who we are as people. Both Mia and Sebastian fulfill their dreams in the end, and though we scarcely see how they're doing before they briefly wander back into each other's lives, they seem pretty happy with how far they've come since they split. Mia's Fantasy Sequence reflects the part of herself that she dedicated to Sebastian, while Sebastian's club demonstrates his.
After two hours of our characters realizing and making their dreams come true in a world filled with grand song and dance, it's the five year time skip and the reality of our two lovers drifting apart where most decide not to suspend their disbelief, ironically enough. Even the nostalgic feeling of La La Land being a love letter to classic jazz musicals hearkens comparison to a look back at a beautiful relationship and how we may have thought it would never end. But ultimately, this ends up being a movie about how dedication to the past can shape a lively and lasting future, both through its look at the evolution and influence of jazz, and its analysis of a relationship that features its willing contenders growing into the individuals they want to be without ending up together. The knowing smile shared by Mia and Sebastian at the very end serves as a salute—a thank you—for changing each of their lives.
In the end, music changes people, people change each other, and people change.
Did Not Blow Me Away Until the End (Spoilers)
While a certain amount of Hype Backlash has been made concerning the massive influx of popularity garnered by La La Land, claims that it pales in comparison to classic epic romances like Titanic or Gone with the Wind seem to neglect that a movie offering such parallels must be doing something right. To put things lightly, there are many, many things that elevate this movie to admirable heights.
The two leads, played by Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, immediately cement their status as two individuals stubborn enough to continue their fruitless paths to success without a second thought. It isn't until they meet that they decide to maybe try things differently. There is enough ground at the beginning to cement the two as a cute, believable pair, though my biggest problem with La La Land is that while Stone and Gosling have an undeniable chemistry, they seem too engulfed in their own acts to drive it all the way home. Fortunately, this reflects their own characters' dilemmas, and while it doesn't save their romance, it does indeed reinforce the movie’s overall theme.
This is not a movie about a couple whose love triumphs at the end—hell, Damien Chazelle even hooks up the two characters in the middle of the movie because he wants us to enjoy it while it lasts. This is a movie about those real loves we feel throughout our lives, and the dedications we make in our memories that make up who we are as people. Both Mia and Sebastian fulfill their dreams in the end, and though we scarcely see how they're doing before they briefly wander back into each other's lives, they seem pretty happy with how far they've come since they split. Mia's Fantasy Sequence reflects the part of herself that she dedicated to Sebastian, while Sebastian's club demonstrates his.
After two hours of our characters realizing and making their dreams come true in a world filled with grand song and dance, it's the five year time skip and the reality of our two lovers drifting apart where most decide not to suspend their disbelief, ironically enough. Even the nostalgic feeling of La La Land being a love letter to classic jazz musicals hearkens comparison to a look back at a beautiful relationship and how we may have thought it would never end. But ultimately, this ends up being a movie about how dedication to the past can shape a lively and lasting future, both through its look at the evolution and influence of jazz, and its analysis of a relationship that features its willing contenders growing into the individuals they want to be without ending up together. The knowing smile shared by Mia and Sebastian at the very end serves as a salute—a thank you—for changing each of their lives.
In the end, music changes people, people change each other, and people change.