La La Land - Film Review

La La Land is about as close to pure delight as you can get when it comes to a moviegoing experience. From its opening song and dance number to its final scene, it will put a smile on your face that will seldom falter, even in the moments that break your heart. It succeeds in nearly every regard, working as both a throwback to the classic musicals of yesteryear and a genuinely touching romance. 

Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone play Sebastian Wilder and Mia Dolan, two dreamers trying to make ends meet in the city of Los Angeles. Mia is an aspiring actress working as a barista in a studio lot coffee shop. She hops from audition to audition, working tirelessly to achieve her goals, but with little success. Sebastian is an inspired pianist with an obsessive love for jazz. He takes what work he can, playing in restaurants that insist he stick to their uninspired playlist rather than demonstrating his true talent. He dreams of opening a jazz club where he can play the music he loves unencumbered by anyone else’s demands while also reminding people why jazz is such an integral music genre. When the two finally meet, it sparks a relationship that inspires both to pursue their dreams with renewed vigor.  

Perhaps one of the most impressive things La La Land’s writer/director Damien Chazelle manages to pull off here is a tone that is utterly sincere. There’s no winking at the camera, no cynicism – the film is an earnest and loving homage to an all-too-rare genre in today’s cinematic landscape. His direction is inspired. While many modern attempts may have chosen to utilize flashy editing and fancy cuts to hide their stars’ lack of musical talents, Chazelle’s camera’s gaze rarely falters. He relies on long, unbroken takes to emphasize the talents of his two leads and it is an absolute joy to watch Gosling and Stone engage in what are essentially live performances. The cinematography and production design successfully evokes the big, colorful aesthetic found in so many old musicals.

But a musical is only as good as its soundtrack and, thankfully, Justin Hurtwitz’s, combined with Pasek and Paul's lyrics, is one of the year’s best. The songs are catchy and frequently stunning, infused with big band jazz elements and heartfelt ballads that'll give you chills. Stone and Gosling have strong voices and the charisma to match, and while Mandy Moore’s choreography (no, not that Mandy Moore) is simple and old-fashioned, it’s also efficient and gives the pair plenty of opportunities to stretch their dancing chops.

If there’s anything I could find fault with about the film, it’s that Chazelle’s earnest screenplay is almost too simplistic. While in some ways that works for the mood and tone he’s going for here, there’s a prevalent feeling he doesn’t actually have much to say or add to the genre. His characters are likable enough, but they aren’t particularly complex and don’t go much deeper than their surface-level motivations.

Let me put it another way: yes, La La Land is a successful musical throwback, but has the outpouring of love the film’s received been because of its actual quality or because it reminds people of much better films from the past? If La La Land had been released back in the 50s or 60s, would it be remembered as a classic today, or would it have been lost in the midst of its superiors?

But perhaps it isn’t fair for me to take such a pessimistic approach when viewing La La Land. Because, quite frankly, even if its nostalgia milking accounts for much of its appeal, it’s also a damn good movie with two marvelous performances at its center. And even though I want to be cynical about its overall appeal, whenever it comes to mind, I can’t help but smile. And what’s so bad about a movie that just wants to make people smile?

FINAL RATING: 4/5

Take a bow, Birdman. You've earned it.

Every year, there are a small handful of films that remind you exactly why you fell in love with the medium in the first place. Last year that list included the likes of 12 Years a Slave, Before Midnight, Gravity, and Her, amongst others. This year we have Boyhood, Captain America: Winter Soldier, Chef, The Grand Budapest Hotel, and now you can add Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Birdman to the list; and, truth be told, Birdman could be the very best of the bunch. It is a masterful cinematic experience in every sense. Every element is top-notch, from the screenplay to the performances to Iñárritu’s guiding hand. It serves as a reaffirmation of what makes cinematic storytelling so special and is a gift to lovers of the artform.

And speaking of artforms, that’s exactly what Birdman is all about. It celebrates the artist’s inexplicable drive to create using the plights of Riggan Thomson (Michael Keaton) as a representation of the struggles every hard-working artist has faced at one point or another. Riggan is desperate to escape the shadow of his Hollywood career in which he was the star of the enormously successful ‘Birdman’ film series. To prove himself as a true ‘artiste,’ he’s taken it upon himself to direct and star in a Broadway adaptation of Raymond Carver’s 'What We Talk About When We Talk About Love.' Along the way, he’ll have to find a way to bond with his daughter, who’s fresh from drug rehab (Emma Stone), while appeasing the two actresses in his play: his somewhat-of-a-girlfriend Laura, who’s claiming she’s pregnant with his kid (Andrea Riseborough) and the aspiring Broadway star Lesly (Naomi Watts). He’ll also have to deal with the mad devotion and all-around insanity of method actor extraordinaire Mike Shiner (Edward Norton), all the while fending off the skeptics in the press who are determined to ruin his foray into ‘serious’ acting and his many fans who just want him to do another 'Birdman' flick.

The screenplay by Alejandro González Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Armando Bo is equal parts introspective, beautiful, disturbing, and tragic. It’s also frequently hysterical. There is so much going on, so many tones and characters, so many different storylines to juggle, that you expect the whole enterprise to either collapse under its own weight or derail in splendid fashion, Thanks to Iñárritu’s direction, it does neither and never feels anything less than a totally exhilarating viewing experience. The entire film is staged as a one shot sequence. The discerning eye will notice where the cuts are employed, but no one can deny how seamless the effect is thanks to the incredible direction and editing. Iñárritu has clearly been inspired by his best bud Alfonso Cuaron’s technique, even employing Cuaron’s go-to Director of Photography Emmanuel Lubezki. Lubezki continues to solidify his place as one of the finest cinematographers working in the trade and his work here is frequently stunning. Antonio Sanchez’s score thumps and jives and bounces all around like its own character, always complimenting, never detracting. It’s one of the best soundtracks of the year.

Sometimes films that revel in their technical triumphs end up favoring the technique over the story and characters, but with Birdman, Iñárritu has struck a perfect balance between these elements. This is due, in no small part, to the remarkable cast he’s assembled. Everyone here, from the major roles all the way down to the most minor, delivers some of the best work I’ve ever seen from them. Michael Keaton is the obvious stand out as tortured actor Riggan Thomson. This could be the best performance of his entire career. I can’t say for sure; I’ve never seen Mr. Mom or Multiplicity. Obviously it’s not too difficult to see the parallels between Keaton’s career and that of the character he’s playing. It’s unquestionably one of the best performances of the year and it’s sure to garner some much-deserved awards attention. Edward Norton gives a superb, madcap performance as Riggan’s ‘nemesis’ Mike Shiner. Norton has a ball with the character. If you’re already in love with Norton’s work, you’re only going to discover more reasons to love him here. Emma Stone gives yet another exquisite performance as Riggan’s daughter Sam. She continues to prove herself as an amazing talent, going beyond her standard adorable, wise-cracking persona to deliver something much more profound. It would be rather lovely to see her get some awards attention when the season rolls around. Naomi Watts and Andrea Riseborough are gorgeous and work wonders in their supporting roles; Zach Galifianakis is yet another welcome addition, meeting the high standards set by the rest of the cast. Amy Ryan as Riggan’s ex-wife Sylvia may not have much screen time, but she leaves an indelible impression.

Birdman is a masterpiece. It really is and despite its exhaustively spectacular technical side, it still manages to come across as unassuming and modest. I adored every single second of this film. It belongs near the top of the best films of 2014 and, I’ll go ahead and call it now, one of the best of the decade. There is something inherently human about Riggan’s struggles to find meaning in his life and his work and his story is one that is sure to go down as one of the most beloved of all time.

So, if you've read this review and you're still not convinced, I'll just leave this image here. It should provide the final push you need:

FINAL RATING: 5/5