La La Land, starring Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, hit theatres in December and has since received an uproar of positive reviews. The musical sensation, which follows the romance of two up and coming artists in the sensual setting of Hollywood, has been far more successful than anyone could have originally foreseen. For someone who is completely engrossed in the theatre community, such positive responses to a musically based film is a phenomenal, and occasional, occurrence.

Stone, no stranger to musical theatre, starred in the 2014 Broadway revival of Cabaret. In La La Land, she graces audiences with her stunning voice and stellar acting as Mia, an up and coming actress. Her unforgettable rendition of The Audition is deeply emotional and backed by fantastic vocal strength. On the other hand, Sebastian, a musician dreaming of reviving classic jazz, comes alive through Gosling’s terrific acting ability. Though doubted by many critics, Gosling also proved to have a surprising knack for dance. In addition to this hidden tapping talent, Gosling confessed in interviews with PopSugar magazine that he himself played the piano in every shot filmed for the screen. Together, the two have a dynamic chemistry that works wonders for this specific movie, showing the trials and strain of being in love and struggling to find work as an artist. The inspirational ending of the film demonstrates that not all love must end in an unending relationship; sometimes, a smile across the bar is all it takes to feel together.

The director and screenwriter, Damien Chazelle, demonstrates an excellent ability to combine the worlds of art and meld together so many wonderful aspects of film and script. Though he uses the classic musical ‘easy-going’ tone, he doesn’t forget to incorporate realistic tones of sorrow and unfulfilled longing, something that many famous movie musicals fail to include. He utilizes different colour schemes to try and foreshadow mood and tones, which works wonders for the aesthetic pleasure of the audience. In terms of the plot, Chazelle does not hesitate to force a rocky relationship, or illustrate the demanding world of a starving artist. He does not shy away from grit, which is something that hasn’t really been featured in many musicals of that past couple decades. The lack of struggle is perhaps why they groups musicals with comedies at so many awards shows.

The score, penned by Justin Hurwitz, Benj Pasek, and Justin Paul, is timeless, but it unapologetically flirts with modern flare. The melodies and harmonies compliment each other perfectly and intertwine to create a soundtrack that is as powerful as the plot as it accompanies. In the show-stopping number, Someone in the Crowd, Pasek and Paul write “someone in the crowd may be the one you need to know”. These lyrics, along with the rest in the score, undeniably reflect the hollywood lifestyle that the movie is trying to portray, not hesitating to demonstrate the very harsh price that is to pay for fame. All of the pieces, from the instrumental overtures to the beautiful, touching ballads, join together to deliver a resonant piece that easily pleases all ears.

As a total package, La La Land was an absolute gift. Thrilling to watch, and insanely personally relatable to each audience member, this film showed the public that not all musicals have to end with a kickline and a smile. It captures the reality of romance against the harshness of attempting to contribute to a competitive society such as the one built by Hollywood artists. Sometimes, realism is the most exhilarating way to go, as it gives the viewer something to relate to and something to attempt to understand. It leaves behind the desperately empty promise of perfect living and thrusts forwards the promising reality of finding happiness in a situation that seemed unfulfilling.