With its pulsing musical score and a truly magnetic, Oscar-worthy performance from J.K. Simmons, Whiplash is a difficult act to follow.
But if writer-director Damien Chazelle is feeling the pressure, it doesn’t show. His latest creative venture, La La Land, is a dreamy, old-fashioned musical that places Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling in central roles. The former is Mia, an aspiring actress struggling to get her foot in the door, and with today’s stylish new trailer, we see another audition slip between her wanting fingers. It’s a similar story for Gosling’s jazz musician Sebastian, who loses his job in the build up to the Christmas season.
Those dreams aren’t going to pursue themselves, though, and Stone and Gosling’s artistic duo – in channeling their on-screen chemistry from Crazy, Stupid, Love – embark on a magical romance. This, coupled with the rising profile of filmmaker Chazelle, ensures that La La Land is all but a shoo-in for this year’s Oscar nominations.
La La Land, also starring Finn Wittrock, John Legend, Rosemarie DeWitt and Meagen Fay, will dance and jive its way into this year’s Oscar race on December 9. Curious to know how Chazelle’s Whiplash follow-up stacks up? Our own review from TIFF reveals that the old-timey musical ostensibly hits every note.
Written and directed by Academy Award® nominee Damien Chazelle, LA LA LAND tells the story of Mia [Emma Stone], an aspiring actress, and Sebastian [Ryan Gosling], a dedicated jazz musician, who are struggling to make ends meet in a city known for crushing hopes and breaking hearts. Set in modern day Los Angeles, this original musical about everyday life explores the joy and pain of pursuing your dreams.