In an alternate universe, the producers of the film La La Land would have finished their speech and returned home with 7 out of 14 Oscars. Unfortunately, they were cut short due to a misplaced envelope, and the true winner was the film “Moonlight.”
If you remember the 2017 Oscars as vividly as I do, you know it was one of the biggest flops in Oscar history. Aside from being my personal favorite, the film represented a significant revival for musicals, which had not been nominated for “Best Picture” since 1991’s Beauty and the Beast and had not won since 1965’s “The Sound of Music”! Furthermore, La La Land is an original written musical made with a fresh young perspective of Damien Chazelle, who was only 32 years old at the time and was the youngest recipient of the Academy’s Best Director award, a record he still holds.
As we all know, the Academy Award isn’t just about the pure joy of celebrating cinematography; on a larger scale, it’s about a lot of politics. An escapism story about dreamers, in my opinion, was desperately needed in 2016 during the terror attacks and Trump’s election. Even though no one could have predicted the events that occurred during filming. Unfortunately, the jury found tolerance and the themes of the film Moonlight to be more relevant. I’m not saying it didn’t deserve an Oscar, but La La Land will always be my favorite.
A love story starring Emma Stone and Rayan Gosling as aspiring actress Mia and jazz musician Sebastian. Mia is desperately going from audition to audition in the hopes of being noticed by casting directors, but she is failing miserably. While Sebastian performs the same dull songs in a restaurant, he is constantly observed by his strict boss and has no opportunity for self-expression. Both main characters have a spark at a plot-changing party, and this is where things get twisted. Without giving too much away, the film is about balancing one’s career and love life while remaining true to oneself and pursuing one’s dreams. Damien’s friend Justin Hurwitz composed the incredible score, which is accompanied by flawlessly choreographed dances.
Apart from the score, which I have on repeat on Spotify (I stan for “Audition The Fools Who Dream”), I really enjoyed the film’s script, which also won an Oscar. Despite the fact that it is a musical, which is supposed to create a sense of fantasy, La La Land feels very real to me. People often feel like the main characters, escaping crashing reality in their dreams and failing to overcome problems or feeling frustrated. Thus, the film demonstrates that there is more to life than the path we think we have while achieving our goals.La La Land is not just another Hollywood love story, but it feels genuine. I could watch it indefinitely and get emotional every time. A film filled with love for music, dance, theater, and, of course, cinema. It may not have won The Best Picture award that year, but for sure it has made it to the history of cinema.
