For anyone who saw La La Land and didn't really understand what the fuss is all about, this compilation is for you. La La Land is a movie about loving movies. It's a technical feat of filmmaking that pays tribute to the greatest musicals ever put on the big screen. Yes, you can write hot takes about it, you can pick apart some of its problems (of which there are many!). But at the end of the day, La La Land's sole purpose is to dazzle you.
Maybe Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone aren't the best singers and dancers, but they sell it, like every great movie star has done beforehand. Maybe it's somewhat an insult to jazz—the genre so loved by Gosling's character. But it's not Ken Burns' Jazz; it's a big, pretty Hollywood movie about big, pretty Hollywood movies.
La La Land pays tribute to the greats that came before it in nearly every frame. Gosling spins around the lamppost like Gene Kelly did in Singin' in the Rain. The camera at the party scene bobs through the pool like the one in Boogie Nights. It's filled with enough homage to make Quentin Tarantino blush. Sometimes it's obvious. Sometimes it's subtle. But, damn, if you're into these sorts of things, if you love nerding out about film, La La Land is the most fun you can have at the movies.
