La La Land (2016)
- Eagle-eyed viewers have noticed a hidden easter egg referencing Damien Chazelle's previous film in the background of the opening scene.
- The incredible score for La La Land was composed in just a few weeks after the original composer dropped out.
- Many of the practical effects used in the climax were achieved without any CGI.
La La Land is a 2016 American musical romantic drama film written and directed by Damien Chazelle. The film stars Ryan Gosling as Sebastian, a dedicated jazz pianist who dreams of opening his own club, and Emma Stone as Mia, an aspiring actress working as a barista on the Warner Bros. studio lot. Their romance blossoms against the backdrop of Los Angeles as both pursue their artistic ambitions, but the demands of their dreams gradually create tension that tests their relationship.
La La Land was a bold artistic gamble β a original movie musical released in an era when the genre had been largely abandoned by Hollywood outside of adaptations of existing stage properties. Damien Chazelle, who was only 31 at the time of the film's release, crafted a visually stunning love letter to classic Hollywood musicals, particularly the films of Jacques Demy and the MGM musicals of the 1950s, while grounding the story in the contemporary reality of struggling artists in modern Los Angeles. The opening number, "Another Day of Sun," was filmed in a single continuous shot on a Los Angeles freeway on-ramp during a sweltering summer day, an ambitious technical achievement that required months of rehearsal.
Emma Stone won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her luminous performance, and the film received 14 Academy Award nominations β tying the record for most nominations ever β winning six including Best Director. The film is perhaps most famous for its role in one of the most shocking moments in Oscar history, when it was mistakenly announced as Best Picture winner before the error was corrected and Moonlight was revealed as the actual recipient. La La Land earned $446 million worldwide and reignited mainstream interest in original movie musicals.
