Day 11 - La La Land
First Impressions:
Ryan Gosling!
Ryan Gosling is to Joseph Gordon Levitt as Emma Stone is to Zooey Deschanel. "La La Land" fetishizes classic Hollywood aesthetic where "500 Days of Summer" bows down to the lords of twee. Both are sumptuous to watch and end with the love interests parting ways.
I can't see how anyone wouldn't be obsessed with jazz after Ryan Gosling's explanation.
Personal Reflections:
"I'm letting life hit me until it gets tired. Then I'll hit back. It's a classic rope-a-dope."
Fate.
Both "500 Days of Summer" and "La La Land" are among the most contemporary rom-coms on the list, "La La Land" an academy award winner last year in 2016. A traffic jam that turns into a song and dance Gap ad has Sebastian and Mia pass for the first time in a less than congenial encounter. Not to worry, there are two more before they concede to couple-hood, as short-lived as that is.
So is it strange that they keep running into each other? Or is it preordained? It's as if the romantic interlude in each movie makes Summer and Mia ready for marriage: after being with Tom, Summer gets married, and post-Seb, Mia gets married and has a child. "500 Days of Summer" and "La La Land" differ from the traditional rom-com narrative in which the two romantic leads end with each other and often in marriage.
Paradoxically, "La La Land" with it's sun-drenched musical numbers that recall the glam of 1950s Hollywood, sings virtues far different from the period. The comment on modern romantic arrangements seems to be: realistically, we don't end up with who we 'should' be with. Rather, we choose practicality. We don't know the specifics of Summer's situation but her ring looks more expensive than one a greeting card writer could afford. Mia chooses her career and a husband who seems a lot more stable than Sebastian would ever choose to be.
Are we lying to ourselves if we believe they are happier than if they had chosen 'fate'? My heart leaped when Mia kissed Seb (Ryan Gosling obsession aside), believing that she had overturned her life with her husband. I thought to myself, "At last." Etta James crooning, as this is what one would expect from a rom-com. But no. This moment was as real as flying around a simulated cosmos.
The real surprise was that we were supposed to leave the movie believing that both characters thought they had made the best decision and were happy despite the fantasy of fate. Initially, I didn't buy it.
Mia's montage essentially shows what she and her husband did up to the night club scene but with Sebastian's face. Mia would have everything she currently has, only with the man fate threw her way. I can't be the only viewer to detect this undertone of regret.
At the same time, let's not forget: this is a fantasy. In all likelihood, their relationship would have meant one of Mia and Sebastian would not have their dream, putting it on hold to tour cross country with the other to keep their relationship alive. So, fate is that they met to push each other in the 'right direction'.
The message of the modern self-aware rom-com is this: you meet special people throughout your life and they help you transform into the person you will become but they aren't who you will raise a family with, or grow old with. For an idealist, this is some mature, albeit disappointing shit.
"This is the dream! It's conflict and it's compromise, and it's very, very exciting!"
Rom-Com Tropes:
1. Song and dance numbers galore!!!
2. Leaving your date in the middle of dinner is okay if you're seeing "Rebel Without A Cause" with a man fate has preordained. Double-okay if it's Ryan Gosling.
Soundtrack:
The musical numbers were fine.
The best songs were with Sebastian's Keytar band at the pool party. Covers of Take Me On and I Ran. I also enjoyed the jazz interludes.
Ryan Gosling!
Ryan Gosling is to Joseph Gordon Levitt as Emma Stone is to Zooey Deschanel. "La La Land" fetishizes classic Hollywood aesthetic where "500 Days of Summer" bows down to the lords of twee. Both are sumptuous to watch and end with the love interests parting ways.
I can't see how anyone wouldn't be obsessed with jazz after Ryan Gosling's explanation.
Personal Reflections:
"I'm letting life hit me until it gets tired. Then I'll hit back. It's a classic rope-a-dope."
Fate.
Both "500 Days of Summer" and "La La Land" are among the most contemporary rom-coms on the list, "La La Land" an academy award winner last year in 2016. A traffic jam that turns into a song and dance Gap ad has Sebastian and Mia pass for the first time in a less than congenial encounter. Not to worry, there are two more before they concede to couple-hood, as short-lived as that is.
So is it strange that they keep running into each other? Or is it preordained? It's as if the romantic interlude in each movie makes Summer and Mia ready for marriage: after being with Tom, Summer gets married, and post-Seb, Mia gets married and has a child. "500 Days of Summer" and "La La Land" differ from the traditional rom-com narrative in which the two romantic leads end with each other and often in marriage.
Paradoxically, "La La Land" with it's sun-drenched musical numbers that recall the glam of 1950s Hollywood, sings virtues far different from the period. The comment on modern romantic arrangements seems to be: realistically, we don't end up with who we 'should' be with. Rather, we choose practicality. We don't know the specifics of Summer's situation but her ring looks more expensive than one a greeting card writer could afford. Mia chooses her career and a husband who seems a lot more stable than Sebastian would ever choose to be.
Are we lying to ourselves if we believe they are happier than if they had chosen 'fate'? My heart leaped when Mia kissed Seb (Ryan Gosling obsession aside), believing that she had overturned her life with her husband. I thought to myself, "At last." Etta James crooning, as this is what one would expect from a rom-com. But no. This moment was as real as flying around a simulated cosmos.
The real surprise was that we were supposed to leave the movie believing that both characters thought they had made the best decision and were happy despite the fantasy of fate. Initially, I didn't buy it.
Mia's montage essentially shows what she and her husband did up to the night club scene but with Sebastian's face. Mia would have everything she currently has, only with the man fate threw her way. I can't be the only viewer to detect this undertone of regret.
At the same time, let's not forget: this is a fantasy. In all likelihood, their relationship would have meant one of Mia and Sebastian would not have their dream, putting it on hold to tour cross country with the other to keep their relationship alive. So, fate is that they met to push each other in the 'right direction'.
The message of the modern self-aware rom-com is this: you meet special people throughout your life and they help you transform into the person you will become but they aren't who you will raise a family with, or grow old with. For an idealist, this is some mature, albeit disappointing shit.
"This is the dream! It's conflict and it's compromise, and it's very, very exciting!"
Rom-Com Tropes:
1. Song and dance numbers galore!!!
2. Leaving your date in the middle of dinner is okay if you're seeing "Rebel Without A Cause" with a man fate has preordained. Double-okay if it's Ryan Gosling.
Soundtrack:
The musical numbers were fine.
The best songs were with Sebastian's Keytar band at the pool party. Covers of Take Me On and I Ran. I also enjoyed the jazz interludes.
For someone who isn't a huge fan of musicals, I really enjoyed this one...and not just because of Ryan Gosling (even though that was actually him singing. Wow.) I thought maybe at the end she would wake up and it was all a bad dream, and Ryan would be next to her in bed. I waited til the end of the credits just in case.
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