T: Are you prepared for a bunch of mushy-gushy, fan-girl raves about a movie that you probably haven’t watched yet? If not, you should probably stop reading right about now…

Wait, you’re still here?! Awesome! Okay, are you ready to hear my heart soar for this amazing movie???

This movie is seriously the best. thing. ever.
It has only been 48 hours since I have seen this film and I cannot stop thinking about it. I’ve been listening to the soundtrack on repeat. Unnecessarily re-watching the trailer. I have literally told everyone around me – friends, coworkers, store cashiers – how amazing it is. I am quite possibly the most annoying person in the world right now because of this movie. See: SNL ‘La La Land Interrogation’

But it is so good. As a cineophile, I watch (and annoyingly predict) a lot of movies. It is tough to find movies today that feel fresh and new. There are some movies I love simply because of the cinematography or the actors or the costuming or the production value. But these days, it’s hard to find a movie that checks every box and satisfies every need – but this one does. And clearly the Academy agrees: ‘La La Land’ hits high note with 14 Oscar nominations

It is a highly original, uniquely imaginative, brilliantly innovative, profoundly romantic movie that was the perfect reminder that there are still beautiful things yet unseen and real talent not yet squandered.

La La Land is set in modern-day Los Angeles and focuses on two protagonists, Mia (a struggling actress) and Sebastian (a struggling jazz musician). Both want to be taken seriously in their field, yet are constantly bombarded by a crowd that is both lacking passion and ingenuity. In each other, they find the kind of inspiration and support needed for embodying a true passionate spirit.

What is particularly mesmerizing about this film is despite its modern-day setting, it produces a series of 1940’s and 1950’s motifs that (along with the brilliant talents of Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling) transforms itself into a modern-day reprise of an old Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers film. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the screen and I felt as if I had almost held my breath from start to finish. It left me completely transfixed. And every time I thought the movie was over, I was begging for it not to be over.

Admittedly, each song left a kind of flutter in my heart and lightness in my step and if it weren’t fear of being totally laughed out of the theater, I would have tap-danced out the door. But, truth be told, I didn’t tap-dance out the door because I was an emotional wreck at the end. I felt feelings not elicited from a movie in a long time – if ever.

But it is kind of difficult to explain why it is so good. It just is. Instead, I’ll reassure you that watching it – whether at home or in theaters – will not be money wasted or time lost. And, even if you don’t obsess over it like me, I promise you it will be (at the very least) a fun time.

RV: Twizzlers is spot on. This movie deserves every accolade it gets. Now, I’m not of the demographic that swoons for Ryan Gosling, but I’m not ashamed to say I had a man crush on him during most of the film. He just knows how to play the confident character so well without ever coming across douchey. Not to mention, when he plays a character in misery, you can feel his misery in every inch of his face. He was amazing, and so was this film. I like musicals. I’m a bit of a musical fanatic, so I already hold them in a pretty high regard. This is one of the best I’ve ever watched. The music was catchy yet had incredible variety. The musical sequences were nostalgic, but they also carried with them some very captivating and unique cinematography. Musicals can easily fall into the trap of being cheesy, but again, La La Land walked that tight rope perfectly. The dancing and the singing never felt tacky or forced. The acting, the singing, and the story blended together perfectly, creating one hell of a masterpiece. Do not make the mistake of missing out on a movie that might just be the quintessential example of  movie magic.

5 Twizzlers: I la la love La La Land. It is the fanciful fun escape we all need from the dark cloud that is the world right now.

5 Red Vines:  La la land of plenty…plenty good music, characters, and tears.