“Here’s To Those Who Dream, Foolish As They May Seem; Here’s To The Hearts That Ache, Here’s To The Mess They make.” -La La Land.
On Christmas weekend, a gift for those who love movies, and for those who wish or need to be touched and uplifted and entertained. The movie’s story telling is simple and powerful, both stirring and touching at the same time. Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling are terrific.
La La Land opens this weekend, and Maria and I got to see the first showing in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
This is a movie about the world of dreams, and how beautiful and powerful movies used to be and now, rarely are. These two great performances ground and cement a movie of brilliant technical skill and a kind of cinematic style that was thought to be lost in Hollywood.
La La Land reminds us why Hollywood became so successful in the first place, it was the palace of dreams.
People expecting Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers will be disappointed, I think, La La Land has great color and style, but it goes deeper than those old dance movies, it is an homage to people who dream and for the struggle and heartbreak that often accompanies their yearning.
It is a film I did not want to stop watching, it was full of joy and sadness and magic, from the terrific acting (especially of Stone) and the almost forgotten power of music and dance to lift our spirits and fire up our imaginations. I saw a dozen people, dancing and humming and tapping their feet as they left the theater, the score will get into your head and stay there for a good while.
La La Land does not sugar coat or romanticize the creative process. Anyone in my line of work or any creative work knows all too well that most people don’t get to follow their dreams, and those who do often pay dearly for the trip, for the mess they make.
I have lived such a life, I have followed my dream to be a writer and never quit on it, even when I should have. I have paid for that and so have many people close to me, I made some staggering messes.
Maria has followed her dream to be an artist, and it has often been so hard for her. I cannot count the number of times each of us doubted ourselves and nearly gave up, our bond was forged by a deep commitment we each made to the dreams of one another.
It is so often necessary for dreamers to be told by someone they trust and love that they can make it, that they should not ever quit, they should hang on through all of the storms and traumas and rejections and humiliations. And every now and then, great joy and satisfaction.
I always believed that if I gave up on my dreams, I would live a hollow life, a substitute live. That has never been bearable to me.
Director (and writer) Damien Chazelle reminds us how beautiful dreams can be, and how inspiring movies can be.
Sometimes, the movie literally sails up to the stars and takes the audience with it. My foot was tapping for half of the film. I realize that this movie is very close to my heart, and in a less glamorous way, my life.
When young writers ask me for advice, I always say the same thing: don’t ever listen to your parents and siblings and take that day job, you’ll always be afraid to give it up and everyone in your life will tell you not to. Ruin and terror are great motivators. If you set out to follow your dreams, don’t ever look back. It is possible, I know. Over time, I have seen that the people who find their dreams are the most determined, not always the most gifted.
The creative life is all about finding strength, determination and above all, encouragement. Talent helps also, but lots of people have more talent than me, few are as willful. Maria and I are committed to one another’s dreams, we support each other in every way, and that has made a huge difference. It is so difficult to chase your dreams and be alone, as the movie also suggests.
I appreciate that the movie captured the pain of dreams as well as the rewards. The film manages to be honest but also wonderfully rewarding and never depressing. Maria and I both cried more than once and the color and choreography and terrific.
The movie is a reflection of its major them song, and a tribute to those who dream, foolish as they often see, and to the hearts that ache and the messes they make.
Speaking as objectively as I can, this a wonderful movie, a perfect movie for this weekend, these times. Maria loved it as much as did. I don’t have a single nit to pick with it, and there is always something to squawk about. It is just as touching and delightful and imaginative as it appears to be, I would recommend it without any reservation at all.
It is also PG-13, a great, even important film for kids nine or ten and up. And there is not a single explosion, car crash or chase.
I believe it is the job of creative people to life the spirits and touch the souls of people, and to make shape of the color and light and mystery of the world. It was also once the job of Hollywood to make films like La La Land, and lift up the spirits of people. How refreshing to see them doing it again.
