Movie: La La Land
Direction: Damien Chazelle
Cast: Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, John Legend, Rosemarie DeWitt
Music: Justin Hurwitz
Cinematographer: Linus Sandgren
Editor: Tom Cross
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Musical, Romance
Rating: ∗∗∗∗
What is it about: It’s a musical romantic drama, which revolves around an aspiring actress and a passionate Jazz musician. How their paths cross and what happens next forms the crux of the story directed by Damien Chazelle.
Why it’s disappointing: This could stay put for this movie.
What to watch out for: Musicals are not something new to Hollywood, and sometimes these movies become interesting than the regular ones. And “La La Land” is one among the interesting ones. The film has a straight forward notion which doesn’t deflect at any point and sticks to it. There is a point in the film where the director sums up the entire film in a different perspective within a span of 5-10 minutes, trust me that was a beauty and shows the potential of director Damien Chazelle.
Damien did a fantastic job in not only penning this classic, but also a great job in casting Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone. They both were perfect and apt for the roles, lighting the screen with their charismatic performances. Their chemistry was delectable on screen. Seeing them dance to the tunes and croon those sweet songs were a delight to watch and hear.
The cinematography was at its best, in fact one of the finest. Linus Sandgren toyed with the lens so well that it becomes a treat to your eyes. It looked fresh and enchanting. That was perfectly backed by commendable edit by Tom Cross. Of course on the big canvas of IMAX this was more enjoyable to watch.
This being a musical, the score plays a huge role and that became the high point in the film. Justin Hurwitz did a fantastic job. And a brief cameo by John Legend makes it even better.
Verdict: Damien did a delectable job on this musical, which leaves a great effect on you after watching. A whiff of a fresh air in film-making, which makes you wonder the methods, how something simple can be achieved with good writing. Definitely worth a watch, don’t miss this one.
