I have never been a great movie reviewer possibly because I tend to pick movies I know I will enjoy and avoid ones that don’t sound very interesting, to me at least. I’m a sucker for movies I know will give me the “Hollywood ending” I’ve come to expect. A trip to the theatre is supposed to be an escape from reality, after all.
At times, I will go to the “critically acclaimed” movies as well. These are the movies that tell a more realistic version of fantasy than my beloved rom-coms or superhero action movies. Last year when I saw the “Revenant,” I knew I was in for a three-hour struggle of man against nature. I loved that just as much.
In my adulthood, I have come to really appreciate the beauty that cinematography can bring to the screen — especially after all of those television production classes in college that put me behind the camera. Things like lighting, framing and focus mean so much more to me now.
However, these acclaimed movies must also have a story I like for me to truly say “I liked them.” “Crash” won the Academy Award for Best Picture, and I hated every moment of that movie. I understood the appeal to the academy, but that doesn’t mean that it appealed to me.
“La La Land” is arguably this award season’s most talked about movie. I knew I had to see it. All of the previews showed a call back to movie musicals of old I adore. I loved turning on movies with Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, Doris Day and the like, which were popular long before I was even a thought. I was ready for a nostalgic trip on the silver screen, and I wasn’t disappointed.
It was framed like a musical from the 1950s, but told a modern story of a man and woman seeking to fulfill their dreams in Los Angeles. Emma Stone played an aspiring actress and Ryan Gosling a jazz musician with dreams of opening his own club in the city.
Their paths crossed a few times before they entwined themselves in a love story that would change the course of both their lives.
Both Stone and Gosling received Golden Globes for their performances in “La La Land,” and they were both deserving of the honor. They carried the movie and made it what it is. Both had to learn to dance for their roles. Choreographer Mandy Moore did a great job with the task (for those familiar with “Dancing with the Stars” and “So You Think You Can Dance?” that name should be familiar). Moore did an excellent job mixing in the song and dance within the story — complete with a dream sequence that is a nod to Gene Kelly’s “An American in Paris” and “Singin’ in the Rain.”
“La La Land” was poetry in motion, giving a nice visual to how every small decision has the potential to shape our lives and set us on a path. It even took time to show how if one or all the decisions were made differently, the outcome would be completely changed.
In my opinion, this movie is worth the price of admission. If you talk to my brother and his girlfriend, they thought differently (I think they just didn’t like seeing Stone and Gosling breaking out into song every once in awhile), but it’s that kind of movie. You either connect with it or you don’t. The only way to find out where you land, is to go see it yourself. I hope it speaks to you as it did to me.
Contact Pam Rodgers
at prodgers@newtondailynews.com