- By Michael Jacobo
- Photo Courtesy of Summit Entertainment
Because of recent political events, Americans need some good ol’ cheering up. Luckily, the holidays are just around the corner, and if those don’t pick your chin up, maybe an ode to classic Hollywood musicals might.
La La Land is “boy wonder” Damien Chazelle’s (Whiplash) third feature. A stark contrast from the dark and gritty tone of Whiplash, La La Land is a dazzling musical that follows a struggling aspiring actress (Emma Stone), who falls in love with a struggling jazz pianist (Ryan Gosling). However, as their careers take off, fame and fortune threaten to tear them apart. Chazelle wrote the screenplay in 2010, but found problems trying to finance the project. It wasn’t until after Whiplash became a commercial and critical success – it was nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture – that the screenplay started to get attention, and Summit Entertainment agreed to finance and distribute the film.
Also starring in the film is John Legend (Southside with You), Rosemarie DeWitt (Rachel Getting Married), J.K. Simmons (Whiplash) and Finn Wittrock (American Horror Story). The film had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival where Stone won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress. The film also recently won the Vanguard Award at the Palm Springs International Film Festival.
“LA LA Land” opens in theaters on December 9th.
