La La Land (2016)

Director: Damien Chazelle
Stars: Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Rosemarie DeWitt
Runtime: 128 minutes

Synopsis: While navigating their careers in Los Angeles, a pianist and an actress fall in love while attempting to reconcile their aspirations for the future.

Performances: 5/5
Screenplay: 5/5
Costumes/Makeup: 5/5
Editing: 5/5
Cinematography: 5/5
Score/Soundtrack: 5/5

Verdict:

(+) The opening number is possibly the greatest opening number in any musical ever.

(+) It's a love story between movies (Mia) and music (Seb) that resulted in a beautiful, heartwarming love letter to both mediums.

(+) Could've easily followed every cliché in the book of cheesy Hollywood romances, but it thankfully doesn't. And I applaud it for that.

(+) The music, as expected, is terrific. Both the score and soundtrack written by Justin Herwitz are compositions I still listen to constantly 3 years after the film's release.

(+) The traditional sets and moody, seasonal costume design are to die for.

(+) The acting is stellar, especially Emma Stone's who went on to deservedly win the Oscar for Best Actress (and Best Picture).

(+) The choreography is one of the best I've seen in my entire life. Every little move was executed flawlessly at the correct moment.

(+) The cinematography is breathtaking. From shot composition to camera movement, everything was incredibly dynamic and aesthetically pleasing.

(+) The themes of dreams and reality are both uplifting and heartbreaking to see unfold. I was floured by the end of the movie.

(+) Oh yeah, the ending. Absolute perfection.

(-) The singing felt a little too autotuned and wasn't perfectly synced with the actors' lips. But it sort of added to the dreamlike song sequences so I don't even know if it annoyed me or not.

FINAL GRADE: 9.5/10