Milez Das (Rohit Shivdas)’s review published on Letterboxd:
Mia’s eyes drift as she heads to the bar. She recognizes the sign 'Seb's'. The images on the wall and the stool Sebastian’s, formerly Hoagy Carmichael’s.
Mia finds a seat with her husband. As the combo finishes their set a large applause appears.
And just then Sebastian appears. Mia looks at him,
frozen, her heart beating faster. As Sebastian names the members of the band he looks at the crowd and sees Mia.
The two lock eyes and you can tell it’s the first time in a long time they have seen each other. Sebastian sits at the piano. Looking at the keys. He looks at Mia. Takes the sight in. Then turns back to the keys and finally starts playing.
A quieter tune, just piano, soft and tender and melancholy. A
melody Mia instantly recognizes. It’s their song.
And here me has started crying...
In its hopes and dreams through the inspirations of classics that range from the Top Hat to The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. La La Land breathes a beautifully melody of love that reminds you of a time that lived and breath musicals. It is a love story in its core. But it also captures two characters trying to achieve their dreams.
Mia wants to be an actress. She has auditioned an auditioned for parts where either someone has to take a coffee or doesn't care. After a millionth time it just becomes hard to even step in that place for her.
Sebastian on the other hand wants to open a bar where Jazz is beating in everyones heart as he wants to reintroduce the era. I love the scene where Mia enter the pool party and recognizes Sebastian and for getting back at him she requests the band to play 'I Ran'. I love this scene so much, it is just so fun to watch.
But the scene that comes where the sing and dance in night lights of LA while searching for Mia's car is more beautiful.
La La Land shows a part of dreamers who live for their dreams. Even though the Epilogue is the most heartbreaking sequence of the movie, but for me the dinner scene between them hurt a lot too. It is a sequence where Mia and Sebastian have a argument on Sebastian abandoning his dreams for job he doesn't even like. You see two parts of the argument but it even hurts more to see them falling apart.
Directed by Damien Chazelle, he pours his heart and soul in this movie. From the first frame of the traffic sequence to its finale you see a breathtaking movie that makes you smile, cry and loved. Leaving with you a hope that a dream that you want to achieve has its own way of making its way towards you.
Cinematography by Linus Sandgren is one of the most beautiful parts of this movie as it captures something beautiful to its core of these two characters.
I even love how Damien doesn't hide his influences throughout the movie. I even love how he has Ingrid Bergman on walls and posters in some the scenes and mentioning Casablanca at times.
The score from Justin Hurwitz is soul of the movie as you end up humming and whistling many songs and scores as you exit the theater. I mean if anyone asks me to whistle the Epilogue, City of Stars or anything for that matter I can do it in heartbeat as I have listened to this soundtrack countless time now.
Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling have made their name in the section of great on screen couples. They have this chemistry that makes you want them to be together forever. They both capture their characters to perfection as it feels like Emma Stone was born to play this role as shines throughout the movie.
La La Land is breathtaking in its visuals reminding something that there is a beauty in musicals. It buckles up onto the characters and their hopes and dreams to the end. It makes it audience involved with every aspect of the movie. It is dream project for Damien and he made this movie in a time where musicals are rare. He shows a life of dreamers and their struggles to chase their dreams in La La Land.
I Love this movie.