Damien Chazelle has wasted no time in capitalising on the breakout success of his virtuoso drumming psychodrama Whiplash. With La La Land, the prodigious young auteur has constructed an earnest, sun-drenched love letter to the golden age of Hollywood that never feels like hollow pastiche. Like Whiplash, it’s a thrillingly energetic portrait of frustrated young artists overcoming seemingly insurmountable odds, though that’s where the similarity ends. It works as well as it does thanks to the chemistry of stars Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, whose wise-cracking, chaste courtship evokes memories of classic screwball comedy whilst remaining grounded in the reality of life as a struggling performer in modern LA. As unexpected career success begins to take its toll on the relationship, the musical numbers dry up and the film shifts into a more melancholy gear. While this may prove disappointing in the moment, rest assured that it’s all in service of a show-stopping, surprisingly moving climax.
La La Land | Directed by Damien Chazelle (USA 2016) with Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone. Starts January 12
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