La La Land, directed by Damien Chazelle, has engraved itself as one of the most memorable movies of the year. Led by Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, the magic bursts alive from the opening scene and continues for 2 hours. The sequence that begins the movie leaves the audience wondering the same thing — how. Shocking and dazzling, it’s a film that has never been seen before. Fusing old Hollywood themes and styles with a modern story has created an instant classic.

The efforts of the entire cast and crew have been lauded by critics and audiences. Thus, La La Land entered the Oscars with a record-tying 14 nominations. Despite, the notorious Best-Picture-mix-up, La La Land nabbed 6 awards, including: Best Director, Best Leading Actress, Best Original Score, Best Cinematography, and Best Production Design. Chazelle’s passion project has been extraordinarily received, not only by the critics. Despite only having a $30 million budget, La La Land has raked in $369 million. Whiplash was the film that put Chazelle onto the Hollywood stage, but La La Land has put him in the spotlight.

Chazelle’s film is a homage to those who dream, not to Hollywood. He pushes people to follow their passion and wraps this idea in a beautiful story. It is a timeless story with timeless ideals. The film pranced across a stylistic tightrope, but the designers managed to create an atmosphere that was enchanting.

Justin Hurwitz, an old friend of Chazelle, may be the true star. It is not necessary to enjoy musicals to love La La Land and its music. The tunes are snappy and elegant. The most famous song from the film, “City of Stars”, depicts the hope and melancholy of the two main characters’ situation.

La La Land is a movie that will have a long lifespan. The masterful cinematography and entertaining story are enhanced by Hurwitz’s music (a rare feat for a musical). Chazelle’s passion project has finally been completed, and it was worth the wait.

Final Score: 9.5/10