LA LA LAND

I’ve been wanting to write about this film for months. Since I was in France when it came out in the states, my first viewing of it was on a screener. [Screeners are sent out to members of various guilds to make sure they see the film—and consider it for awards.] So my first experience with the film was just on a TV screen. Subsequently, when it opened in France, I saw it four more times.

What can I say? I just didn’t want it to end. The vitality, truth, exuberance, and sheer joy lifted me so very high. It was that feeling of flying that you get when something transcends its boundaries and just soars—made me feel like I was soaring right along with it.

It’s hard to dissect what it is in a film that makes it good. Critics attempt to do it but I’m always worried that they’re doing it to show off a bit—because their goal is to get more readers or listeners so they ham it up or criticize with a vengeance to draw attention to themselves. I’m sure not all critics are like that, but I worry too many are. When I think, for me, what makes a film tremendous it’s hardly something I can define… but let’s try.

Subject Matter. La La Land is about following your dreams and the stumbles and pitfalls that come along with such a lofty ambition. And that’s an area of human endeavor that I’m fascinated with.

Form. La La Land is a musical—and I’m a sucker for a good musical. My favorites are Singin’ in the Rain and Chicago, well, until now, because they’re #2 & #3 because La La Land has zoomed into first place for me.

Writing. And in the case of a musical, the writing has to do with both the screenplay and the lyrics of the songs, because they’re both telling the story. And with La La Land I was musically carried away from the crazy opening car jam number to the spectacular City of Stars to my favorite, The Audition Song. The screenplay too was bordering on flawless. There wasn’t a false moment or emotion in the entire story.

Directing. I hate directors who are so in love with their ability to frame a shot that they linger on shots too long as if to say, ‘See how brilliant I am?’ I want films that move. This one did—this was a director who wanted to tell the story and had no interest in drawing attention to himself as a director.

But it’s no good, is it? I can try and dissect what made this a work of art but it’s like trying to dissect the genius behind any work of art—it’s just not possible.

In the end, for me anyway, La La Land made me empathize with all the choices we make in life and how, too often, those choices lead us in directions we might wish we hadn’t gone… Life at its best can be bittersweet oh so very often… and that’s the truth La La Land struck with me that makes me value the luck I’ve had in life and also take stock of things I wish I’d done differently… it strikes a human chord. And that’s the best that a work of art can hope for.

Copyright © Diane Lake

07May17

Email Diane a question to Diane@DianeLake.com