"La La Land"

Last night went off to the cinema to see, finally, Damien Chazelle’s “La La Land”. What a treat it was, not only does it remind you of that swathe of Hollywood musicals from the 40’s and 50’s that we watched as kids as they filled the Television programming in the afternoon, but it is also a modern film which has realistic take on the fairytale romance that was delivered by Hollywood in times past.  But there is much in this film that will have you checking the Netflix classic film collection. 

Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers moving from spoken dialogue to sung lyric and just as easily from a walk to sensational dance sequence. 

Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire 

"City of Stars' Gosling and Stone

The musical became its life on the stage, an opera for the people, often a way of poking fun at the classes above.  The arrival of Sound in film made it possible for Hollywood to bring those popular Broadway shows to the screen, and give the worlds audience a chance to escape the sad reality of the real world outside. 

The story focus is more often than not a romance that is moves between indifferent, to besotted, to unrequited and then ends with happy ever after.   The style is dialogue, lyrics. musical themes and dance mixed together to create and move the story forward.   Most use the music of the day, popular songs  shoehorned into the story and more often that not it worked. 

From the Jazz Singer (1927) to West Side Story (1961) and Oliver!(1968) which were tail end of this classic genre of musical/dance film.  From 1927 to the late 1950’s they were the most predominant film genre and most popular.

La La Land (2016)

The Jazz Singer (1927)

The arrival of television killed nearly killed off the film industry, but it also gave a new audience to all those libraries of film including musicals that TV needs to sustain an audience looking for content and escape. So many of us are familiar with the musical, understand the style and also have an expectation of how this might present itself on the screen.

Damien Chazelle

Damien Chazelle wrote and directed this original screenplay and musical.  He first tried to get a studio to take it on in 2010, but they said no, and it wasn’t until 2015 that he found a studio willing to invest in his vision. The $30Mill invest has paid off handsomely with a world gross at the 17th January at $130Mill (IMDB).  Now it could because Ryan Gosling is in the film that the audience is big, or maybe Emma Stone, but I suggest its the combination of those two talented actors and the very talented Mr Chazelle. 

Chazelle has one other film to his name, Whiplash (2014) and it walked away from the OSCARS with 3 awards (J.K. Simmons - Best Supporting Actor ; Best Film Editing and Best Sound Mixing)  that he scored so well with his first film gives us an indication that he has a gift in the art of story telling on they screen that not every writer, director, producer or actor have. He is talented and this is on display in every frame of “La la Land” (Los Angeles) the world of would be actors and musicians all looking for the big break, and the world of celebrity worship.  

Emma Stone and the dress. 

Gosling and Stone are both immensely attractive people, so the ogle factor is huge, but image is one thing, talent and the ability to believe in their character is what makes an actor. and thats the difference here. Both of these people bring believability to the screen, their faces, faces and body posture tell us everything.  When you find yourself talking to a screen character and advising them what to do you know you have stepped into the film as well. 

The music is brilliant, and not only do the songs lift your and also carry a story forward the dance sequences are brilliant. My feet didn’t stop, I just wanted to be part of it and thats rare.  John Legend is outstanding and lifts the music too another high.

Chazelle has also achieved something else, and if you are a fan of the musical and you know your genre well, you will delight in how this Director and Writer has populated his film with memorabilia of Hollywood and celebrity, from film sets, to film props, locations and watch of the stunning backdrops and painted walls, everything about this film has been crafted into the story, the backdrops and paintings are not chance, instead they are a salute to the past from a film that is about now.

Ryan and that waist coat. 

Chazelle’s style of film making is also a little different, its not frenetic in how it appears on screen, no music clip style editing, but long slow takes with dialogue that establishes character and story. This is where Gosling and Stone demonstrate their qualities as actors, they walk and talk through sequences that are long and this is delightful. Long unbroken takes are hard, on actors because there his so much going on around you, but its also tough on the crew, because any missed dialogue, unrehearsed trip or missed cue on camera or whatever means you start again. This film is filled with this old style film making.  

Can Ryan and Emma sing and dance, most certainly and  “The Fool Who Dreams,” sung to film live by Emma Stone is stunning, its not rare for me to tear up in films, and this is what undid me in this film and then the next  reprise “City of Stars”.  Emma’s song is stunning and hauntingly beautiful. Sung live to film and not over dubbed, it has a realness to really hits you and brings her character believability to the fore. 

‘La La Land” is immensely entertaining and it will walk away with awards galore, it deserves them, and there will be knock off that more than likely will remind us that being creative is no reproducing someone else work, but being innovative and telling a story your way.  I look forward to more films by Damien Chazelle and every film is enhanced with Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone. Griffith City Cinema now.

And as my cousin, Allison mentioned to me, "its not the best musical out there but you will be impressed with their efforts and the ending may be unexpected, but ..."

#lalaland #emmastone #ryangosling #griffithcitycinemas