Hurwitz’s score is built around five central themes: one for Mia, one for Sebastian, two for Mia & Sebastian together, and one for the overall concept of ‘Hollywood’ and the limelight ambitions of the young and the idealistic. There is a great deal of overlap, thematically, between the two albums, so this review will discuss them simultaneously.
There are two soundtrack albums for La La Land one which showcases all the songs along with a small selection of score material, and one which presents all of Justin Hurwitz’s score on its own, sans songs. The opening dance sequence on the 105 freeway (“Another Day of Sun”), the cheeky courtship song at magic hour in the Hollywood Hills (“A Lovely Night”), the glorious sequence inside the Griffith Observatory (“Planetarium”), Stone’s emotionally raw make-or-break audition (“The Fools Who Dream”), and the wish-fulfillment fantasy “Epilogue” are all stunningly realized sequences that combine excellent songwriting, joyous dancing, strong acting, and luxuriant cinematography into a memorable, enchanting whole. Composer Justin Hurwitz, songwriters Benj Pasek, and Justin Paul, and choreographer Mandy Moore approached their task with a glorious freedom of expression, and emerged with several spectacular set pieces, which Gosling and Stone attack with realism, good humor, personality, and not a small amount of talent. Of course, the film’s other big selling point is that it is an all-singing all-dancing musical, a combination of classic jazz and Broadway show tunes with more than a dash of Hollywood magic. My adopted home city has never looked so good. Director Chazelle makes use of many iconic Los Angeles landmarks, and shoots them in the same romantic light as other directors have shot New York, or London, or Paris, or Rome. Not only that, the film is a visual and aural delight the lush cinematography, the creative art direction, and the bold costume designs are all worthy of mention. The film is not averse to some knowing nods and winks – in fact, many people who live in the city will laugh at the LA-specific in-jokes, which take pot shots at everything from the weather to the traffic to its odd penchant for ‘fusion cuisine’ to the fact that everyone drives a Prius – but the bottom line is the encouragement for people to follow their dreams, whatever their dreams may be. It’s easy to be sarcastic these days, especially in Los Angeles, where every waiter is an actor, every barista is a songwriter, and every pizza delivery guy is a writer just waiting to be discovered, but La La Land embraces and celebrates these clichés as being the life blood of the city. This is a film which genuinely loves and supports artistic ideals, and encourages the members of the audience to cherish their talents, and shoot for the stars.
A series of chance meetings between the two slowly leads to a romantic relationship, and together the pair seeks to find a way through the perils and pitfalls of being young and creative in the City of Angels.Īs I mentioned already, the best thing about La La Land is its complete lack of cynicism. Sebastian is a jazz pianist frustrated by his lack of opportunities and the fact that no one seems to love the music he loves any more Mia is an aspiring actress working in a coffee shop on a studio lot whose dreams are continually crushed by an endless parade of failed auditions. Directed by Damien Chazelle, it stars Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone as Sebastian and Mia, two struggling artists trying to make it in contemporary Los Angeles. It’s a sincere, optimistic love letter to the power of dreams and the joy of romance, an homage to classic Hollywood musicals, and a celebration of art and dance and music that wears its heart on its sleeve and looks you straight in the eye as it does so. There has been so much cynicism and negativity in the news in 2016, that a film like La La Land is not so much a breath of fresh air, but a necessary antidote to the political and social upheaval that has swept across far too much of the world.