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A lovely night - A review of La La Land

By Jack Richardson

As my previous reviews have shown, I am harsh. I don’t like most contemporary films, music or games. I feel many are over-hyped or objectively bad. LALA Land is an exception. In fact it found a small place in my black shrivelled heart and made it beat once again.

It’s old Hollywood feel mixed with catchy jazz music formed an imprint of pure happiness within its audience. It’s Mise-en-Scene reflected an almost Van Gogh-esque atmosphere and it’s casting was spot on.

Before watching I had my doubts of Emma Stone’s musical ability, but I can (reluctantly) admit that I was wrong. Though not the most powerful voice in acting, it’s quaint tone and her acting prowess shone through giving her character increased depth and complexity.

Then there was Ryan Gosling. What can I say about him? Well in his scenes he actually played the piano and when he did you could hear the collective sigh of every woman in a 10 meter radius. His passion and acting ability perfectly reflected the chemistry held between him and Stone.

Another area with astonishing success was the cinematography which with each shot carryed enough weight and artistry to be an individual piece.

The music throughout was uplifting, moving and had me weeping. To avoid cliché, I won’t call it an emotional rollercoaster, but instead an emotional dodgem, you think you’re safe and BAM you get hit.

Overall I’d give LaLa Land a 9.5/10 (nothing’s perfect but this pretty close). This will be remembered as a classic, the new Casablanca! Perfect for date night, perfect singles night and perfect for realising how alone you are night.