La La Land - why Hollywood works

La La Land, in its essence isn't a love story. Yes, it tells the story of two ambitious individuals, an actress and a jazz musician, whose paths cross in the vast scape of the paced city of Los Angeles, the home of Hollywood and every other dreamer, or "fools", as we get to know. Yes, the story deals with these two passionate individuals and their goals, their relationship and their love for each other, as well as the compromises and the sacrifices they are willing to make. But La La Land isn't a love story. It's a story about love.

"Fools"

La La Land bases its primary storyline on the superimposition of the lives of these two "fools", Sebastian Wilder, a talented but struggling musician switching from restaurants to jazz cafes and Mia Dolan, an innovative yet unsuccessful actress who strives towards the idea of the Hollywood fame who look to express themselves, quite often through their voices and music.

The plot of the two lovers who meet, and yet must part due to their own dreams and ambitions has been done before. So the question begs, why La La Land? The answer can be found in its execution. It's a masterpiece to witness with ones eyes.

A Lovely Night

All things considered, the impact of the movie can be narrowed down to 5 aspects -

1. The direction and writing, by Damien Chazelle

2. The wonderful performances by both, Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling

3. The division of the story into the 4 parts

4. The strength of the musical performances, by the entire cast.

5. A few significant moments in the course of the film.

Directed by Damien Chazelle, a jazz drummer himself, the film imbibes itself with an indie-feel, looking very natural and fresh, full of vibrantly coloured shots, and eye catching imagery, due to the highly well designed set and lighting. The credit to these stunning shots must be given to Linus Sandgren, the cinematographer as well as Chazelle, the visioned thinker. The placement of each shot, whichever scene it may be, but notably the pieces from 'A Lovely Night', 'Planetarium' and 'Epilogue' are scenes no audience will ever forget.

The writing, quite unexceptional compared to previous excellent stories in similar genres, still manages to showcase itself as a standout in modern cinema, with a humorous and unputdownable script, along with the right amount of pain, passion and a hint of tragic. The film provides more emphasis on the performances and the emotions conveyed, and yet somehow is still able to deliver on its powerful but simplistic story and screenplay.

(Like you're not going to try that move)

The extent to which the performances of Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone work together and individually surprises me each time I watch the movie. Their previous experience in Crazy, Stupid, Love allows them to build on an established chemistry audiences are willing to pay attention to. Regardless, from their initial meet, to the pleasure of having someone in your life, and the ups and downs of a relationship, its almost like witnessing a completely new beginning.

Writing about specific moments from their work on-screen would not only spoil the story for you but also ruin the impact of the scenes, as they are to be witnessed and not read about. That being said, I can't help but mention Emma Stone's worthy Oscar-winning performance. The less I talk about the 'Audition' scene, the better. Gosling, however faces criticism for the 'white saviour' theme that people have noticed, and in my opinion, rather than tarnish the film and its writing by mention pointless issues, appreciate the merit of his acting - the scene of the theme and the Epilogue, have caused many-a-friends to shed tears.

Hollywood - a city of dreams

The movie delves into 4 visible aspects of the story - 'Spring', the comedic meet. 'Summer', the unforgettable relationship. 'Autumn', the crisis in their lives, the climax. 'Winter', the tragic end. This allows audiences to witness and expect plot developments, guided by the framework of the screenplay. What this effectively does, is remove the idea of suspense and mystery from the story and this is necessary to prepare audiences for the controversial and emotional end. This delicate and ingenious use of contrast is perhaps an excellent example of storytelling techniques.

The 4 divisions of story also persist with various moods and atmospheres throughout, demonstrated mainly through subtle visual and chromatic imagery (the inexplicable use of colours) be it the vibrant yellow and purple for Spring, or the warm red in Summer, or the toned brown in Winter. Even more directly, changes in the soundtrack are evident to ardent listeners and audiophiles.

An epilogue, unforgotten

Besides the excellent work done by composer, Justin Hurwitz, in crafting highly striking yet soothing tunes to casual listeners, its supplementation and adjustment to the atmosphere of the film and the storyline itself is beyond description. From harmonious duets by lead performers, Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, to calm yet moving piano stand-alones, not to mention the traditional musical trope of bursting into song with an organised chorus and enjoyable beats, the music simply stated, is phenomenal. The album itself, warrants an award. The jazz influences are obvious, from random improvisations, to the crazy scales in weird keys, the quality of the music proves to be the essential deal breaker for almost any musical hater to turn into the most avid fan.

Evidently, not only is the movie a tribute to classical musicals of age, from Grease to Singin' In The Rain, but also a tribute to the world of film and art itself, mainly Hollywood, through its themes and motifs. The documented relationship of these two characters, while volatile and graceful, seeks to follow its natural path and yet never cease to exist, similar to the journey of these "Fools" in the land of their dreams.

From a hater of musicals and romantic comedies, I can't guarantee you that La La Land isn't a little bit of both. But I can promise you that watching the film, will definitely change your conception of what common media terms "love", even relationships. Whether its a reaffirmation of your belief in the concept, or an upheaval of your opinion, is a risk that is yours to take. A movie for the generation.

A story about love.