La La Land : Review

La La Land, a film that is the talk of the town as we enter the 2017 award season. A story about Mia (Emma Stone – Magic In The Moonlight), and aspiring actress serving lattes on the studio lot between each humiliating audition. And a story about Sebastian (Ryan Gosling), a jazz musician eking out a living playing at cocktail parties. A chance encounter puts these two on the same path, mixing love with career, consideration for ones significant other with the choices one needs to make as success mounts, in a cut-throat word, where success is everything.

Put simply, a film with 7 Golden Globe wins, countless more nominations, and a sure foot in for an Oscar nod (or a few), La La Land is just brilliant. It’s a visual and auditory treat, a heart warming story, entertaining, toe-tapping, and fun. There is just the right amount of humour, story, drama and of course an extra helping of romance, all packaged together in on extremely talented mix of acting and filmmaking. From the multi-talented leads of Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, their ability to act, sing, dance and perform, so the cinematography where the camera dances a ballet with the music and characters, from the ever so long shot used in the nostalgic beginning of the film, to the use of lighting and angles as the shots get shorter as the story plays out on the multiple stages of the films setting.

La La Land is a musical, with some thoroughly enjoyable song and dance numbers throughout. What makes these even more amazing is the fact that both Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone have performed much of this live, in-camera, themselves.

The overall plot to the film is rather straight forward. The age-old dream of becoming a successful actor or performer in the land of milk and honey, and the obstacles that befall many who dare to pursue this dream. Plot twists and herrings are few, choosing to focus more on the here-and-now.

It would be repetitive to extol the many virtues of the film at too great a length, yet it would be remiss not to categorically state, that this is one masterpiece of art. La La Land is presenting a genre that has all but faded from cinema, and to compete with the visual effects blockbusters of present and rise rise above on the radar of many a cinema-goer and aficionado, is in itself a testimony.

La La Land opens 27 January 2017 in South African cinemas, and is most certainly one not to miss. Book now!

By Andrew Germishuys

Founder of SAMDB | Actor | Armourer | Tech Enthusiast With over two decades in the film industry, I'm a seasoned actor and skilled armourer. I hold numerous certifications in acting and filmmaking, complemented by degrees and diplomas in IT and technology, giving me a unique blend of creative and technical expertise. When I'm not on set or in the workshop, you'll find me immersed in the world of gaming and VR, fuelling my passion for cutting-edge technology. Connect with me: X / Twitter Facebook Instagram Mastodon Threads Explore my work on SAMDB IMDb

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