Mia (Emma Stone) is a barista with dreams of becoming an actress, but is held back by rejections at numerous auditions. Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) is a jazz pianist who wants to open his own jazz club, but is stuck doing one-off gigs and struggling for money.

On a chance meeting, these two kindred spirits develop a deep relationship that brings a new high into both of their lives. But with mounting successes and failures in both Mia and Sebastian’s separate lives, the couple must choose between following their own dreams or staying together no matter the cost.

Directing 5/5

Sticking with the music-themed movies he’s known for (such as 2014’s “Whiplash”), director Damien Chazelle sure knows how to knock it out of the park. “La La Land” is both a heartfelt love story, and a respectful salute to the old-fashioned Hollywood musicals of days past.

While there are plenty of throwbacks to that golden age of music and movies, Chazelle works the film so that it’s not just excessive nostalgia, but more of a translation of the old dance-and-romance formula in modern times.

Yes, the cast breaks out into spontaneous song and dance, but it’s the modern world that brings everything back down to earth and puts things back to normal. Thus, the film has the thematic undertone of maintaining the fine line between preserving or revering the past and keeping up with the advances of the modern world.

Writing 5/5

A romance movie at its core, “La La Land” still manages to be entertaining. It limits its use of cliches and has a realistic approach to how life presents us with choices. The step-by-step progression of Mia and Sebastian’s relationship feels natural. And that’s one of the best things about this film: how real it all feels.

While having dreamy, musical moments sprinkled throughout, the flow of the story is sensible and very human. The different paths that open up to Sebastian and Mia, whether they go down them or not, happen because they are meant to happen and not simply because the plot demands it.

And that is not to say that the dance numbers are intrusive. Just like the plot points, the songs occur in a most natural way that moves the story along and conveys so much necessary emotion that the movie would be lacking without them.

Acting 5/5

While the songs and story carry the thematic and inferenced heart of “La La Land,” Stone as Mia and Gosling as Sebastian are the physical manifestation of that very heart. The strong performances they give in their own separate scenes are even more electrifying when they are onscreen together.

The rest of the cast includes John Legend, Rosemarie Dewitt, Finn Wittrock and J.K. Simmons. They have significantly smaller parts than the two leads, but the ensemble still gives strong supporting performances.

Overall

“La La Land” is another fantastic musical experience by Damien Chazelle. Its realistic love story, show-stopping dance numbers and raw human emotion is not something you find every day.

Whether or not you’re a fan of the old Gene Kelly musicals or just want a good story to warm your heart during the cold winter, “La La Land” is certainly one of the must-see films of the year.