Damien Chazelle’s 2016 masterpiece, “La La Land,” has it all.
Incredible cinematography, amazing direction, a star-studded cast, people dancing on top of cars, etc. Though the ending may crush your soul, the rest of the movie will undoubtedly make it soar. And once you’re on your hundredth rewatch—trust me, you’re going to want to watch it a hundred times—you may finally be able to accept the ending and understand that dreams may be achieved at the cost of a relationship.
“La La Land” follows the story of two struggling artists in Los Angeles. Mia, an aspiring actress, and Sebastian, a jazz pianist and overall enthusiast, fall in love and simultaneously try to achieve their dreams.
However, Los Angeles is not always the kindest host and often turns dreamers into “fools.” Mia and Sebastian inspire one another but, at the same time, hold each other back. Chazelle elegantly navigates the ups and downs of this complicated relationship and inserts jaw-dropping dance sequences and gorgeous songs, which only elevate this already wonderful film.
Though the audience may have a love-hate relationship with the heartbreaking plot, that love-hate relationship beautifully reflects an artist’s love-hate relationship with Los Angeles.
I love “La La Land.” I fell in love with it the first time I saw it back in 2016. I’m definitely not alone in saying that this film is my favorite of all time.
But why? Well, I do musical theater so that may make me biased towards this musical movie. However, it’s so much more than that.
“La La Land” is a love story. It’s most obviously a love story between Mia and Sebastian, but it’s also a love story between artists and their art. In a place like Los Angeles that chews many artists up and spits them out, it’s hard to find the motivation to fight toward your career aspirations—and made even harder as so many people look down on careers in the arts. The make-it-or-break-it mentality in Los Angeles encourages many to just give up, like Mia—temporarily—does towards the end of the film. But if an artist loves their art enough, they keep going until they’ve reached whatever their idea of success is.
Mia and Sebastian both achieve their lifelong dreams in the end, albeit in such a way that devastates viewers. As someone who has always been interested in a career in the arts, this film gives me hope. Sacrifices might have to be made, but achieving my artistic aspirations now seems possible.
Dancing on top of cars, tapping over the Los Angeles skyline, floating up in the air in the Griffith Observatory. “La La Land” makes a fool’s dream come true.
Excellent Example of Love-Hate Relationship: NYT – “Love ‘La La Land’? Hate It? So Do We”
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