La
la land, a dreamy musical starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone has swept
awards; won hearts of critics; and definitely made people tap away to its
catchy music. However it fails to impress all. La la land had the makings of
something really brilliant and truly dreamy, but it had to ruin it all by
getting ‘realistic’ at the end, or whatever you call that. What a waste of a lovely feeling!
The
really simple story (which gets really complicated towards the end) written and
directed by Damien Chazelle follows two people Mia (Emma Stone) and Sebastian
(Ryan Gosling), who have their hearts set on their dreams. Mia wants be an actress and struggles to get
call backs while Sebastian is a pianist who dreams of opening his very own jazz
club. They meet, fall in love, and live together helping each other to achieve
their dream. But as they grow in career, they are pulled apart from each other
slowly. The film underscores their struggle to achieve their dream, and drags
along their relationship as well.
(SPOILER ALERT!)
The
first half of the film is colourful in every way possible. The songs are
addictive and the dance especially ‘What a waste of lovely night’ seems as a
fond dream of a memorable and happy night. Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling are both beautiful
and delightful in their performance. But even that does not save this film from
the bitter after taste that it leaves. Thanks to the ‘unusual ending’. Some critics are of the view that it is
precisely the ‘unusual’ ending, which shows sacrifice of love to attain
ambition, as the element which elevates this film to brilliance. Well, I for
one vehemently disagree. The narrative which ends with the lovers separated is
not an unusual narrative even for Hollywood. It is quite common. However the
circumstance of this film does not necessarily warrant it. It seems more like a
forced separation to earn brownie points from almost sadistic critics. Hence
disappointment surrounds this film.
If
we were to go by the argument of the power of the audience to choose the climax
since two possibilities are shown towards the end, the one together and the one
separated. Well, it is actually not two possibilities because in the end after
giving glimmering hope of seeing them together happily married, the director
snatches it away as we see Mia walk away with another man. So there is no other
possibility. Her walking away shatters all possibilities.
It
could have been one of those inspiring films for real dreamers, but it turned out to be a waste of a lovely feeling!
Film: La La Land
Year: 2016
Genre: Musical
Director: Damien Chazelle
Producer: Fred Berger, Jordan Horowitz, Gary Gilbert, Marc Platt
Editing: Tom Cross
Music Composer: Justin Jurwitz
Cinematography:
Linus Sandgren
Ryan Gosling as Sebastian Wilder
Emma Stone as Mia Dolan
John Legend as Keith
Rosemarie DeWitt as Laura Wilder
Finn Wittrock as Greg Earnest
Jessica Rothe as Alexis
Sonoya Mizuno as Caitlin
Callie Hernandez as Tracy
J. K. Simmons as Bill
Tom Everett Scott as David
Meagen Fay as Mia's Mom
Damon Gupton as Harry
Jason Fuchs as Carlo
Josh Pence as Josh
Tomatometer: 93% IMDb ratings:
8.5/10
-Indumathi S
Hi Indu,
ReplyDeleteA wonderfully made musical. In a way, it's an old theme: heart vs mind; being emotional vs being rational; family vs career; making career compromises for love vs making family compromises for career.
I don't think the movie deserved so many awards. It is just a good, pleasant, watchable movie. I enjoyed it.
ALERT -- SPOILERS AHEAD
What left me thinking in the end was about that - the ending itself. I wondered whether the ending reinforced a stereotype that the woman has to give up looking for a career, get married to a man and settle down; while the man, who has got his passion, is not wanted by the woman and is left with just his career.
Of course, we can always argue that Seb too got married later; and Mia too found her career as an actress.
I want to ask the script writer, if ever a different ending was contemplated for the movie; and if so, what were they, and why this particular ending was chosen.