Wow! What an amazing way to start off. La La Land was deeply reflective and tugged the fuck out of my heartstrings. The soundtrack was mystical and romantic, making me feel strongly and bringing me close to tears every time I heard the theme.
I did a lot of thinking during this movie, and really felt myself in the shoes of Emma Stone (Mia) and Ryan Gosling (Sebastian). Being a twenty something figuring the world out, headed somewhere new to chase my childhood dreams... feels a lot like where I'm at now. While I don't work as a barista by day and an actor by night, Mia and Seb's struggles reminded me that life really isn't worth living without passion.
Whether it be in love, in work, or in life, La La Land teaches that so much of life isn't worth living without passion; when without, we fade to grey instead of take the spotlight. It's demonstrated extremely well through music in the movie. Despite being obvious due to the musical nature, I noticed this first in Mia's struggle to enjoy her relationship with her then-boyfriend. When she left her boring dinner reservation at a fancy place with a fancy brother-in-law for a movie out with Sebastian, music accompanied, demonstrating that Mia was 'living life' with the passion I mentioned. We see this countless times through the movie, but my favorite one was the last of the movie, envisioning a different life that Mia and Seb could've led. The heartbreak you experience as the audience, longing for what could (and should) have been brings a tear to your eye.
While related to my current struggles with dating and lack of interesting ways to live my life, La La Land reminded me that a recalibration towards passion is needed. While it demonstrates that hard work and lonely nights do make up part of life, and working had is a necessary byproduct of success, it also taught me that there will always be room for passion along the way. Whether it be a surprise dinner for a loved one, an impassioned fight about your dreams, or a cheeky request of "I Ran" at a party, there's more music in life when you're intentional about living it.
Overall, great watch. Really reflective movie and a strong feeling of nostalgia despite having never watched it. I'm not typically one for musicals but I'd give this a solid 9/10.