HIFF: ‘La La Land’ Is Everything Wonderful And Annoying About Musicals

Musicals. There are things to love about them and things to hate about them. The songs can be wonderful, but the atmosphere can be peppy to the point of annoyance, and most plots can be predicted in the first 20 minutes.

Doing a film adaptation of a Broadway musical or opera is one thing, but a completely original musical in this day and age is a big risk. How does an original musical distinguish itself from dozens of others being staged in New York City and classics that have already set the bar? Writer/director Damien Chazelle (“Whiplash”) answers this question by embracing the good, the bad and the cliché—and he hopes the audience does the same.

It’s hard not to embrace all these things with “La La Land,” Mr. Chazelle’s bright and shining love letter to old school musicals of the golden age. It’s a tale as old as time: Small town girl (Emma Stone) is an aspiring actress in Hollywood striking out at hundreds of auditions. One day, she meets a tortured but talented jazz pianist (Ryan Gosling) and swooning love ensues. But both have dreams and some come true more than others.

Yes, it’s easy to predict how “La La Land” is going to turn out. The musical numbers and meet-cutes could almost come with the blinking “applause” sign from sitcoms. Despite a modern day setting, the atmosphere and style of “La La Land” is firmly planted in the era of “Singin’ in the Rain” with tap dance numbers and the sound of jazz swingin’ in the background. While audience members may have sworn they’ve seen something like “La La Land” before, they’ll admit it’s been a long time since they’ve seen someone execute it so efficiently. Mr. Chazelle has proven himself as a true technician behind the camera, orchestrating sweeping musical numbers and truly stunning quiet moments between his two leads. He and cinematographer Linus Sandgren shoot everything anyone ever thought was pretty about Los Angeles, from the purple sunsets by the Santa Monica Pier to the palm trees by the Hollywood Hills. There’s a beating heart and genuine care behind “La La Land,” not to mention the excellent music by Justin Hurwitz.

And then there’s our star-crossed lovers who dared to dream. This is not Ms. Stone’s and Mr. Gosling’s first time working together (“Crazy, Stupid, Love,” “Gangster Squad”), but it is without question their best work together. Their chemistry is impeccable, bordering on sickeningly adorable. Mr. Gosling starts out like a handsome Woody Allen, trying to champion why jazz is essential while playing Christmas tunes in a piano bar. He doesn’t have the grandest of character arcs, but his natural charm carries him through the picture. But that’s irrelevant, because this might as well be Ms. Stone’s Oscar reel. The multi-talented actress has been waiting all her life for “La La Land,” a musical-comedy that puts her whip-smart humor and fragile emotions dead center, and she nails it like Liza in “Cabaret.” Her solo number at the end of the movie is her “I Dreamed a Dream” moment, showing her soft singing voice and raw passion for the scene. She’s a knockout from the first frame she’s in until “The End” kicks off the credits.

The biggest crime “La La Land” commits is being so unabashedly nostalgic and cheesy, and yet that’s one of the most charming things about it. The movie’s sweet enough to cause cavities and is pure fantasy, but there is enough passion and craft behind it to give it a standing ovation. “La La Land” probably won’t be fondly remembered in the next few years or so. Heck, “Whiplash” is a much more compelling story and features one of the best film climaxes of the decade. But in a year of absolute dread and overblown blockbuster fodder, “La La Land” feels like a miracle.