La La Land (2016)
La La Land
I had high expectations going into this movie, and they were shattered in almost every way possible. First off, the acting was amazing. The duo of Gosling and Stone was awesome in every way, as well as their dancing and singing. To me, Ryan Gosling is one of the last people I would’ve expected to have a song-and-dance routine, but he absolutely killed it. The way he sang “City of Stars” was chillingly beautiful, and I immediately added it to my blues playlist. His piano playing in the film was all done by him, and I am very impressed. He played it so smoothly and cleanly, and every note he played was absolutely beautiful. You can tell he puts so much effort and emotion into not just his musical talents, but his role as well. I can also relate to his character personally, because he reminds me a lot of me when it comes to his appreciation of music. He shows so much love towards jazz and the traditional type of music, and he loves it the same why I do. The scene where he and Emma sing “A Lovely Night” and do their dance sequence was mind-blowing, and it reminded me a lot of Singin’ in the Rain. It had the same feel as the scene where Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds did their routine in the “You Were Meant for Me” scene. A lot of this movie reminded me of Singin’ in the Rain, in terms of cinematography and choreography. I absolutely loved the score, and though the singing was great, the score was even better. There were some absolutely fanTASTIC string arrangements, and I was truly carried away by them. The main theme was haunting but romantic, and it is one of the prettiest themes I’ve heard in a long time. Justin Hurwitz can certainly be proud of his work, and he hit a grand slam with his composing. This movie was also one of the most visually stunning and pleasing movies I’ve ever seen. Every shot had something to look at, and the color pops in every scene. There were two different types of shots in this movie: some were the vivid flashes of color, while the others were shadows with minimal lighting. It goes back and forth between those two, and it works so well. The transitions were also really good, and I loved them all. Perhaps the most stunning scene was the planetarium dance sequence, and I was in awe the entire time. The ending was really great, and although it’s not what you’d expect, it wraps up the story nicely, and the visuals make it all fall together. The overall story is really great, and the message this movie gives is inspiring. Plus, having some of the movie set on the WB lot was awesome. I would highly recommend this movie if you like great jazz music and a killer soundtrack, as well as an intriguing story that really draws you in. This film is officially Berry Approved, so go see it now!