The L.A. Hills are Alive with Music
Mia is a girl that is trying to make it as an actress in Hollywood. While Sebastian is trying to keep classic Jazz Music alive. We follow them both as they pursue their dreams and witness what happens when their paths collide.
The opening set piece grabbed me and it would not let go. This wonderful piece of filmmaking set the tone for the whole movie with good cinematography, music, and choreography, and storytelling. It was done as a sort of one-take steadicam shot, but the editing and camera work was so good that it is really hard to notice the edit points. The song is really catchy and is one of my favorites, among others in a really good score.
The film goes on to show off a lot of fantastic cinematography. After being wowed by the opening number, it didn’t prepare me for one it’s most iconic scenes. When the two lovebirds start to hit it off and engage in long take, including dialogue and a dance number, all during magic hour on a picturesque view of Los Angeles. The technical work behind this scene is enough to make me gasp, but being able to do choreography with difficult moves in one take is equally amazing.
The music is really good. I have had the soundtrack on repeat leading up to this review. This was scored by the same composer behind Whiplash, Justin Hurwitz. I was pleasantly surprised by Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling’s musical ability. They may not have been as trained in singing, dancing, and playing instruments as the rest of the cast, but they definitely held their own. Their performances never broke my suspension of disbelief.
Stone and Gosling both did very well in their roles. The two have great chemistry on screen. Gosling made it look like he’s been playing Jazz Piano for years. Stone brings a very unique take on the drama side of things. Whenever her character breaks down, she does this laughing panic thing that resonates through the audience.
At first, this seemed to be a straightforward Boy Meets Girl Chick-Flick, but because of the outstanding screenwriting, it flips it on its head and changes things up. Even comparing the writing to most films I’ve seen, it’s the freshest I have seen in awhile. I don’t want to spoil the plot, because I want everyone to be surprised like I was.
I know that many people may be turned off from this being a musical, but this is one that no one should pass up. This is one of my most favorite movies that I have seen in a long time. By the time I do this review, I have seen it in theaters 3 times. Please watch this in theaters while you can to get the full experience.