La La Land
2016 · Directed by Damien Chazelle
Original language: English
- comedy
- drama
- romance
The story
Mia, an aspiring actress, serves lattes to movie stars in between auditions and Sebastian, a jazz musician, scrapes by playing cocktail party gigs in dingy bars, but as success mounts they are faced with decisions that begin to fray the fragile fabric of their love affair, and the dreams they worked so hard to maintain in each other threaten to rip them apart.
What it’s like
Saturated primary colours against cool blue nights: the Los Angeles of this film is lit in gold hour, deep Hollywood blue, and the hot pink and yellow of a diner or a dressing-room mirror, with Cinemascope framing that lets the camera glide, pan and hold on a single dancer in an open street. Long, unbroken takes carry the big numbers, and the sound is warm and brassy, with bright jazz piano, muted trumpet and the rustle of an audience settling into a dim theatre. Its vibe is wistful and bittersweet, a dreamy romance with a melancholy undertow, best suited to a rainy weekend, a comfort rewatch or a late-night sit alone with a glass of wine. The pacing is buoyant in its musical sequences and quieter between them, and the emotional arc follows two artists who love each other and each other's ambitions while those ambitions pull them apart. Language is mild and sexual content is discreet; there is no graphic violence, and the only real sting is heartbreak. It is for people who want a romance that feels like a daydream about art, music and the cost of chasing a dream, with bright dancing and a bittersweet ending.
More films like La La Land
Closest in mood, pacing and theme. Tell us why you loved La La Landand we’ll explain which ones fit you.
