It
is easier to be scuffling in New York rather than Los Angeles, because you can
do it without a car here. You are also more likely to find talented but
gig-challenged jazz musicians in The City. However, Mia Dolan manages to run
into Sebastian Wilder more frequently than either would prefer. At least, that
is how it starts. Eventually, it evolves into something serious, but these
things never last in LA, do they? The attractive couple will have to enjoy the
music and the romance while it lasts in Damien Chazelle’s movie musical, La La Land (trailer here), which screens
during MoMA’s Contenders series, in addition to seven hundred-some theaters
nationwide.
Wilder
is in a bad place. Recently, he has been torturing himself over the loss of a
storied jazz club relaunched as a samba and tapas joint. He is also on the verge
of losing his cocktail piano gig. Despite their bad starts, pursuing Dolan gives
him some needed focus. Even though she already has a boyfriend, the well-heeled
Greg Earnest will be no match for a revival screening of Rebel Without a Cause and a midnight excursion to Griffith
Observatory. Wilder will even teach Dolan (and hopefully the rest of the
audience) to appreciate jazz. Unfortunately, when Wilder goes on tour with his
former smooth jazz nemesis, the time apart will put a strain on their
relationship.
You
have to give Chazelle credit for what he pulls off with La La Land. While his first crack at the genre, Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench was a
very nice film, La La is the best
original movie musical since maybe Umbrellas
of Cherbourg, which is obviously a touchstone referential film for Chazelle.
The film and the music composed by Justin Hurwitz (with lyricists Pasek and Paul)
is just that good. Frankly, if “City of Stars” does not win the Oscar for best original
song than the Academy must not have any ears whatsoever. “Stars” will be one
for the Great American Songbook, but “Another Day of Sun” and “A Lovely Night”
are also total winners.
But
wait, there’s more—like Mandy Moore’s energetic yet stylishly old school choreography.
She cleverly incorporates the traffic-bound cars in the opening flag-waving “Another
Day of Sun” (beautifully shot by Linus Sandgren) and stages an awesomely
ambitious third act fantasia, somewhat in the tradition of An American in Paris (both the film and the Broadway musical).
Even
though he looks ten years older than Emma Stone’s Dolan (at least), Ryan
Gosling convincingly broods and self-sabotages like a jazz musician. He also
learned a heck of a lot of piano for the film, which is cool. Emma Stone is
charming as Dolan, but she also conveys all the desperation and self-doubt
plaguing the struggling actress. There is a great deal of chemistry between the
two co-leads, as one might hope, since this is their third romantic pairing
together.
Even
though La La boasts a huge cast, very
few of them register besides Stone and Gosling. Of course, there is no missing
J.K. Simmons’ arch cameo as the club owner who fires Wilder (sort of a victory
lap for his Whiplash Oscar). Likewise,
John Legend is reasonably credible as Wilder’s sellout classmate. More importantly,
legit jazz musicians Kevin Axt, Wayne Bergeron, Peter Erskine, Dan Higgins,
Andy Martin, Bob Sheppard, and Graham Dechter keep the soundtrack real and
sounding terrific as the La La Land Jazz Ensemble.
