This review is spoiler heavy.
I’m not a big fan of musicals and I never have been. It takes a really impressive one for me to like it. For example, The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) has always been a favourite of mine. And honestly, I also really like Singin’ in the Rain (1952), which I saw for the first time as part of my university course a few years ago. Had it not been part of the course, it probably would’ve taken me a lot longer before I went out of my way to watch it.
When I first saw the trailer for La La Land (2016), I thought it looked visually stunning, but ultimately kind of… boring? However, I decided that I had to go and see it because of the wonderful critical reception it received. Plus, I do really enjoy Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone as actors. Overall, I would say I liked the film, but I didn’t love it.
The opening of a film is really important to me. The first 10 to 20 minutes usually set up whether or not someone is going to enjoy a film, and I find this to be very true for me. It introduces us to prominent characters, creates atmosphere and sets the tone for the rest of the film. It invites you into that film world. With that in mind, I found the opening sequence of La La Land a little underwhelming as I was expecting something much better, especially in terms of sound. The good thing is that there was so much going on considering they were performers singing and dancing all over a packed highway whilst stuck in traffic. It was such an ordinary yet out of the box situation which was really fascinating – but, the singing and dancing just wasn’t good enough for me and the song itself seemed below average. However, the opening sequence did set the tone for the rest of the film perfectly well – it just wasn’t what I anticipated. Maybe my expectations were too high?
Some may argue that the average appearance and sound of the performers is to allow Gosling and Stone to shine through with their singing capabilities. Let’s face it – they are not professionals and their voices are very raw and amateurish. But there are other characters within the film, such as John Legend’s character, who do have amazing and showy larger-than-life voices which I think are incredible! I don’t think this takes anything away from Gosling and Stone’s performances, as they are still portrayed as relatable characters who are just chasing their dreams. The fact that they are not the best singers adds to this and it creates vulnerability about them. It gives their singing performances raw emotion.
Mia (Stone) was absolutely adorable throughout and it was great to see her character have that moment where she doesn’t think she is good enough. It’s something that everyone, again, can relate to. Going after your dream is hard work and Mia shows that sometimes you can put your all into something and it just seems like the universe is fighting back. Stone also gave – in my opinion – one of the best performances of her entire acting career portraying Mia in her first audition. She’s stood in her barista outfit, wearing a hideous big, blue coat to hide a coffee stain, and with a poor script and agents who are barely paying attention to her; and yet she still manages to give a really emotional and captivating performance.
It was slightly irritating seeing Sebastian (Gosling) acting like such a dick for the first half hour of the film, but he did seem to settle down once he got to know Mia and eventually fall in love with her. Their dynamic was really sweet and they worked well together. I think their little singing and dancing performance after that party whilst they are searching for their cars is one of the best scenes in the film! They both get to know each other and they support each other’s dreams and Sebastian’s passion for jazz allows Mia to start loving it too. Whilst, the ending was disappointing in that they didn’t end up together, it was really fulfilling to see what they both achieved their dreams. In reality, this may be realistic apart from the achievement part – but then again, this is a film and it’s also a musical; you gotta give us some form of a happy ending.
Speaking of the ending: the jump to give years in the future was really unexpected and left me feeling somewhat unsettled, especially considering how everything turned out. It was disappointing that they didn’t end up together, but it was more than that. It was weird who Mia ended up with and it was weird that Mia had a daughter. To me, this just didn’t seem like her character at all. And after seeing her and Sebastian’s journey together, it was really unusual to see the differences as we’ve spent so long been invested into their life together. In addition, the sequence at the end was kind of bizarre considering it was like Mia imagined everything in her life as it is but with Sebastian instead of the guy she ended up marrying instead. It also seemed like what she imagined was mostly adhering to her own dreams and not Sebastian’s – but then again, this is her vision and she has not seen Sebastian for many years so she probably wasn’t focused on filling in his blanks.
Overall, the film was enjoyable and heart-warming. It was pleasing to look at the performances and characters wearing blocks of colours. It gave a very musical touch, as did the remarkable backdrops of Los Angeles. Everything was mesmerising, yet only one or two songs stood out for me in the end (including all versions of “City of Stars”). Most of the others weren’t memorable. There were some really wonderful scenes, including the ones that were a bit more heartbreaking – such as the argument Mia and Sebastian had over dinner. It was touching and upsetting as they yelled through both their frustration yet care for each other. And at least both characters reached their dreams. It’s not a perfect film, but it’s sure as hell a pleasurable one.
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