Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
Music! Dancing! La La Land is a throw back to 1950's musicals with a modern twist. The story follows Mia and Sebastian (Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling), one an actress, the other a lover of jazz, as they seek out their dreams in La La Land, finding a little romance along the way as well.
The music is so good! As in I'm addicted to it. I first saw La La Land on December 21 with my Mom, making a trip to Salt Lake Valley with the threat of snow looming, proving how much we wanted to see this movie, and as soon as we left the theater I got on my phone and bought the CD off Amazon and was listening to the MP3's off my phone, because I forgot to put the aux cable in the van. Since then I've lost count how many times I've listened to this music. Seriously, listen at your own risk, because it will invade your mind when you least expect, and it's not just one song that gets stuck in my mind, it's several.
And the dancing, I loved Mandy Moore's, from So You Think You Can Dance fame, choreography. When Hairspray Live showed on NBC I was most disappointed with the choreography, but with La La Land I was tapping my feet and dancing along. Moore did a fine job.
I have some friends who felt the singing and dancing could have been better, but I was fine with it, and felt it goes along with the feel of the movie. And I'm relieved that there wasn't a crazy amount of belting!! Belting drives me crazy. It's okay now and then, but belting is way overdone. Karen Carpenter wasn't a belter, neither is Diana Krall, and they're fine singers. Rant over.
I love the movie's theme on pursuing ones dream, and sometimes what that curtails. And I like the sweet, natural romance, that didn't get trapped by cliché, but reflected real life.
I've seen La La Land three times now, and can see it again. I've been with several family members, and seen friends responses online, and it's interesting the mix this musical is getting. Some love it, while others are not so sure. I love it.
And jazz. I love the celebration of jazz in this film.
If you want a toe tapping good time I highly recommend this movie, and then I recommend you get the soundtrack and over play it several times over.
MPAA: Rated PG-13 for some language.
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