The Magnificence of La La Land

Since I was a child, I've always yearned for magic. And when I say magic, I don't mean pulling out a rabbit from an empty hat or choosing two aces of diamonds from a new, unused deck of cards. I mean the kind of magic where playing someone's favourite piano ballad brings them back to life, where a mirror opens into a secret passage to another world, when violin music suddenly fills the air, complementing the retro outfit you're wearing while everything else shimmers with glitter, or when you discover a radiant jewel that shares a special connection with that one mysterious person you met when you were fifteen. Reality pales in comparison; that's why I've always craved the impossible—that magic, that larger-than-life feeling.

Art serves as an escape from the mundane routines of reality. The 2016 film 'La La Land,' directed by Damien Chazelle, is one such refuge for me. I believe the movie is a cinematic masterpiece. The storyline is quite simple: a boy meets a girl, they fall in love, and their relationship is tested when they have to make difficult life decisions. What sets it apart from other movies is its colossal portrayal of a basic plot. The film is set in Los Angeles, the city of dreams—a place where people go to chase magic and where dreams meet reality. The movie opens with hundreds of people stuck in a traffic jam. Suddenly, a lady exits her car and begins singing her life story; others join in, and within minutes, the entire scene transforms into hundreds of people singing in harmony about the crazy decisions that led them to Los Angeles to achieve the impossible.

“Without a nickel to my name

Hopped a bus, here I came

Could be brave or just insane”

Statistically, the chances of success for all of them are nearly zero, but hope is what keeps them going. Hundreds of people dancing on the roofs of their cars while belting out the same song sounds strange. It's not logical or rational, and there's no math involved. It's something very simple yet peculiar, which is what makes it so beautiful. Here, the emotions are not merely felt or experienced but quite vividly showcased.

Mia, the female protagonist, is an actress, while Seb, the male protagonist, is a jazz pianist. Together, they make a captivating duo because their passion for art never dies. When I think of this movie, the first thing that comes to my mind is that it’s loud. It's not the annoying kind of loud like your morning alarm, but the kind of loud that leaves you awestruck, such as when listening to the powerful vocals of an opera singer echoing through the theatre. It is unapologetically vibrant, defying all the rules of practicality. 'La La Land' paints the colours of rainbow on the dull canvas of black and white routine. Mia and Seb bickering and dancing to the tunes of 'A Lovely Night' against a purple sky will have your eyes glued to the screen. When they challenge the laws of gravity in the ‘Dancing in the Stars’ scene, it feels like a spell has been cast. The graceful dance amidst galaxies, with stars resembling glitter splattered across a midnight blue sky, is an enchanting view that one could die for. It might appear bizarre when seen through the lens of logic, but that is precisely what distinguishes art from science.

The end of the movie is like the conclusion of a dream. A dream that was so engaging it almost felt real, but now it's time to wake up. Reality is knocking at the door, and there's no other choice but to open your eyes and begin making decisions. But all of that doesn’t make that dream any less beautiful, does it? The sun rises again, flowers glisten with dewdrops, and people get back to work, but one thing doesn’t and shouldn’t stop - the quest for magic.

“Here's to the ones who dream Foolish as they may seem Here's to the hearts that ache Here's to the mess we make”