LA LA LAND

By Joshua Xiang

"I guess I'll see you in the movies".

La La Land breathes new life into a bygone genre with thrillingly assured direction, powerful performances, and an irresistible excess of heart. (Critics Consensus, Rotten Tomatoes)

Personally, I rank La La Land as the top ten movies ever made. These films are expertly shot, featuring understated acting that stands out in a world of over-the-top blockbusters. The musical scores are exceptional, and the use of color creates a visually stunning experience reminiscent of a fairytale. This movie is unique in that it doesn't rely on the typical action scenes, such as fight scenes, shootouts or car chases. Instead, it revolves around one fundamental premise that we all face in life, which is whether to follow our dreams or our hearts. The film manages to blend all of the best elements of cinema together into one captivating story. What's more impressive is the way it shows restraint at the end, refusing to choose an easy path for the couple.

Mia and Seb's love story unfolds in the classic Hollywood fashion as they sing, dance, and romance their way through the City of Stars. La La Land seems to be setting up a happy ending much like the films it pays homage to. However, the movie's sunny disposition and catchy songs belie a more complicated reality.

Throughout the whole movie, the ending is probably one of the greatest I have seen through many years. In the end, Sebastian and Mia do achieve their career goals—he opens his jazz club, Seb's, and she becomes a famous actress—but their relationship pays the price. The final moments of the film bring them back together, both in reality and in a dream sequence, yet these moments only serve to highlight the reasons why they had to break up, the depth of their feelings for one another, and the true meaning behind La La Land's ending.

The director Damien Chazelle gave his view on why Mia and Seb don't end up together in the ending of La La Land, that it was always the plan for the movie — there was no version where they got their happily ever after. He explained that he finds stories where lovers don't end up together romantic, saying:

"I think there’s a reason why most of the greatest love stories in history don’t end with happily ever after. To me, if you’re telling a story about love, love has to be bigger than the characters... [The ending gives] you that sense that even if the relationship itself might be over in practical terms, the love is not over. The love lasts, and I think that’s just a beautiful kind of thing.”

Even though we all have seen tragic love story endings, La La Land's ending isn't simply grounded in reality, it also delivers a fantastical scene that offers a glimpse into what Mia and Seb's happy ending together could have been like. The sequence takes viewers on an alternate journey through the movie's biggest moments: their first meeting becomes a passionate kiss, and every misstep in their relationship is corrected. This poignant reflection on what could have been for the couple provides audiences with the kind of conclusion that might be expected of a Golden Age musical, without sacrificing the film's central themes.