Surely you’ve been assaulted by endless media mentions of La La Land. Hopefully, you’ve already seen it. And if you haven’t… what, were you watching Office Christmas Party or some other bullshit? Get yourself a ticket to the Golden Globe–sweeping, Academy Award nomination record–breaking, critically acclaimed La La Land. Brought to you by the director and composer of Whiplash, the film stars Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone (commence drooling) in their best roles yet. The movie features struggling actress Mia and starving jazz musician Sebastian as they find each other on their paths to success. But while La La Land hits most of its notes, some fall admittedly flat.
Composer Justin Hurwitz has already been nominated for a whopping three Oscars for his arrangements. The soundtrack is a complex yet cohesive organism: the songs flow seamlessly as they echo the different, gorgeous motifs that Hurwitz has crafted for the movie. Hurwitz’s vibrant soundtrack cadences between major and minor keys that reflect the uncertain optimism that pulses throughout the film—from the characters, from the plot line, from the reveries these “fools who dream” chase.
The Academy Award–nominated song “City of Stars” contains a piano refrain that wavers between hopeful and hopeless, captured in its unsure musical key. Hurwitz creates more drama and contrast in the ebb and flow of the soundtrack. It soars at times with its orchestral swell, yet still dazzles in its more minimalistic arrangements, most notably through the theatrical flight of the dynamic “Epilogue.” To quote Ryan Gosling's Sebastian, “It’s compromise, it’s conflict, and it’s very, very exciting.”
Hurwitz molded the music to the lead actors. He played around with the lyrics of “A Lovely Night” to match the actors’ portrayals of their characters. “When we began to tailor it for their voices, it became a little more sophisticated, a little more mature in their interaction,” he says. Hurwitz even experimented with the melodies to match the actors’ voices—the climactic “Audition (Fools Who Dream) was fitted to match Emma Stone’s vulnerable, husky warble. The song was even recorded live.
But for all its musical accolades, La La Land is surprisingly tone–deaf. Though jazz plays a pivotal role in the story, the movie doesn’t respect the art nearly as much as its characters do. There are some reverential references to Miles Davis and Chet Baker, but La La Land doesn’t expand on its narrow definition of the genre. The character Sebastian has only a slim definition of jazz, limited to the traditionalist stylings of years past. The movie neglects the rich history of jazz as an evolving, expansive genre. A cameo role from John Legend (go Quakers!) shows the film’s weak attempt to connect with modern jazz enthusiasts, but it’s overshadowed by La La Land’s depiction of the neo–jazz musician as a sell–out.
The film also takes a problematic stance with Sebastian’s dream to “save” jazz—jazz music is a historically black art form, so why’s a white man trying to preserve it? The theme of white musicians occupying jazz music has its own term; the phrase “blue–eyed soul” lends itself to the successful careers of Amy Winehouse, Duffy, Christina Aguilera and even Elvis Presley. And while La La Land tries to veer on the side of appreciation rather than appropriation, the half–assed attempt falls on deaf ears (pun definitely intended).
Though it labels itself as a “musical,” La La Land barely fits the bill. In traditional musicals, music itself serves as another character. By definition, a musical’s pivotal moments should all be directed through its songs—think of Broadway musicals like Wicked or Les Miserables, in which the songs are necessary to the plot rather than accessory. However, La La Land’s soundtrack is simply that: a compilation of background music, rather than a plot catalyst (with maybe the exception of “Audition”). And while Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling are talented actors, they are by no means professional dancers or vocalists. You can give each of them an A for effort in learning how to "imitate" jazz piano or going to dance boot camp, but the actors are weak attempts at triple threats.
Still, you should go see La La Land. Critics are raving, teen girls are crying and Hollywood execs everywhere are already formulating La La Land 2. Revel in the romance, bathe in the lights of starry Los Angeles and fall in love with the music. Treat the movie like a significant other: take stock of its flaws, but love it anyway. And you might as well listen to the soundtrack—it's all anyone will be singing for the next few months.
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