One rainy day in August, my dance teacher messaged me saying I had a solo to the song “Someone in the Crowd.” I had never heard of it and when I asked where it was from she said La La Land. So me being an avid lover of movie musicals I decided to grab a bunch of junk food and glue myself to the couch for the next two and a half hours. I went into the movie looking for a cheesy good musical with catchy songs but I came out a different person. La La Land is an experience, not a mere movie. So here is a love letter to my favorite movie ever.

As a theater kid (please don’t click off I promise I won’t bite), I think I am somewhat qualified to discuss the music and dance in this film. To say it plainly, all of it is amazing. The music is fun and catchy with great vocal performances all around. Movie musicals have started to steer towards live singing, which I absolutely despise, but in La La Land, it is used to make moments feel very personal and intimate. Like in the aforementioned number, “Someone in the Crowd”, there’s a big party happening and everything is loud until the music suddenly slows and we see Emma Stone’s character Mia softly singing while staring into a mirror. It gives us an unfiltered and very personal moment. In such moments, less really is more. All of this is not to discredit Ryan Gosling who also does a fabulous job. His performance of “City of Stars” is smooth and jazzy much like his character Sebastian. The score is also phenomenal with my favorite being Mia and Sebastian’s theme which weaves its way into almost every piece of score and ties everything together. However, my favorite musical moment from the film has to be Emma Stone’s “Audition Song”. Despite the simple camerawork and lighting, the raw emotion and outstanding vocals make me cry everytime. 

Within most modern movie musicals, the choreography has become simpler and no longer feels as authentically “Broadway.” La La Land, however, is not one of those movies. The opening number “Another Day of Sun” features superb energy and dancing. It really utilizes camera work and angles while still feeling like a musical number: this is exactly why musical movies were created! I appreciated the tap dancing in the famous “A Lovely Night” number since tap is such an iconic part of musical theater that has fallen off in modern times. All the other songs are accompanied by appropriate choreography that enhances the music in the film even more. 

Now that we have the musical part out of the way, let’s discuss the movie itself. *SPOILERS AHEAD* Watch the movie if you haven’t already. The plot follows the journey of Mia, a star-eyed but struggling actress, and Sebastian, a pianist desperately trying to keep jazz alive. They fall in love but in the end their paths diverge as they decide to follow their dreams instead of maintaining their relationship. 

In short, this is the perfect “right-person-wrong-time” film. Mia and Sebastian meet at a party and decide to go to a movie together. Mia ditches her date to be with Sebastian. They explore the Planetarium and after a few dates, they make their relationship official. Over the summer they go out to clubs and parks and even move in together. Both of them eventually hit success in their careers but not without hitting hardship first. Sebastian joins a jazz-funk group that is flashy and poppy and represents everything he hates about modern jazz. Mia writes a one-woman play that brings in no money and she is openly mocked. After an argument at dinner, they go their separate ways until Sebastian gets a call from Mia’s agent. He shows up at her door and begs her to go to an audition where she lands the lead role and moves to Paris to film. Years later Mia is married with a kid and is a major film star. One night she and her husband go out to a jazz club which we find out is actually owned by Sebastian. Sebastian sees her in the crowd and plays their theme before Mia leaves and they share one last glimpse. However, the film isn’t over as we get an epilogue scene of a dream future where Mia and Sebastian stay together and achieve their dreams but the audience knows that this future could never realistically happen. The plot is bittersweet and it really captures the essence of a relationship that wasn’t made to last but ultimately changes you forever. 

The cinematography and symbolism in this film only add to the list of reasons why this film is so good. Firstly, Sebastian and Mia wear contrasting bright colors in the beginning but are seen in similar more toned-down colors by the end. Spring and summer show the happy period of their relationship while winter and fall show the tension in their relationship. The long shots make the musical numbers feel all the more exciting. And my favorite detail: the final look between Mia and Sebastian where he is in a yellow light and she is in a blue one, which parallels the yellow dress and blue suit they are wearing in the first scene. Every time I rewatch this movie (which is often) I find new little things that make the movie better and better. 

  La La Land is a cinematic masterpiece and will remain my favorite until the day I die. If you haven’t checked it out already I can’t recommend it enough!