One of 2016’s holiday hits, the critically acclaimed “La La Land,” will be playing in the SUB Theater this weekend as a part of the ASUNM Southwest Film Center’s spring 2016 film series. “La La Land” represents the second feature by director Damien Chazelle after he broke onto the Hollywood scene with “Whiplash” in 2014.
The film stars Ryan Gosling as Sebastian, an aspiring jazz musician living paycheck to paycheck, and Emma Stone as Mia a young actress looking for her big break. Both of them aspire for fame and fortune in contemporary Los Angeles.
The film follows the lives of the duo, who are enamored with the golden ages of jazz and Hollywood and who, through their work, seek to restore and preserve the fading lifestyle and musical stylings of an age lost to the fast-paced rat race of the modern world. The couple meet and are initially off-putting to one another, but eventually they fall for one another, or rather for the passion each has for their own craft.
As much as they love each other, the lives they lead force them into directions that threaten to tear Mia and Sebastian apart. Life, their individual situations and the crazy world that is Los Angeles tear at their relationship.
“La La Land” was a sleeper hit at the box office, and is only garnering more momentum after picking up a record-tying 14 nominations for the Academy Awards, including Best Picture, for which the film is considered the frontrunner. The film is also up for Best Cinematography, Best Original Screenplay, Best Actor in a Leading Role and Best Actress in a Leading Role, among others.
“La La Land” is a particularly accessible film, more of a drama with music than a traditional straight musical. But filmgoers looking to indulge in a little bit of nostalgia for the Golden Age of Hollywood shouldn’t miss the opportunity to check out the film this weekend.
Fin Martinez is the culture editor for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at culture@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @FinMartinez.
