La la land opens in dazzling style with what appears to be one long take, dumping you in the centre of the action in a manner oddly reminiscent of The Revenant's opening scenes. The camera guides us with almost kubrickian grace through a mass of cars stuck in a traffic jam as the passengers are overcome by the joy of song, emerging to engage in a spectacular feat of choreographed dance.
Once they have finished their singing and dancing, the attention turns to aspiring actress Mia (Emma Stone) and jazz pianist Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) as they have an altercation in the traffic jam. We soon learn that their careers are far from flourishing. Mia messes up an audition where we are treated to a wonderful bit of acting of acting (if you see what I mean) from Emma Stone and Sebastian is once again fired from his job as a restaurant pianist for straying from the Christmas classics with some free-form improvisation. This scene includes a particularly pleasing J.K Simmons cameo as the restaurant manager where he reprises his scary disdainful thing from Whiplash.
The two meet again at a party and after some sort of plot contrivance I've forgotten they find themselves walking back to their cars together. Within no time they are singing and dancing together silhouetted against the LA skyline. Sebastian swings around a conveniently placed lamp post Singin' in the Rain style in one of many references to the golden age of Hollywood. After this singing and dancing they appear to be very much in love. Over the coming months their relationship flourishes as they inspire each other to follow their dreams; Mia writes her own play in which she will star and Sebastian joins his friend Keith's (John Legend) band.
Both Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling turn in beguiling performances with quite charming singing and dancing as a result I think, of their not being singers. Cinematographer Linus Sandgren and Production Designer David Wasco combine to imbue proceedings with an appropriately glitzy Hollywood sheen. The script is also expertly crafted, lacing the film with both levity and melancholia, and I think, resolving the film with a hugely satisfying ending. To conclude, La La Land is a delightfully uplifting, funny and wistful homage to the musical that will leave you with a spring in your step.
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