#1. La La Land
So finally I find myself at the end of my countdown faced with my favorite film of the year: La La Land. I’ve already said that one through three could be interchanged on any respectable critic’s list. For me, though, no other movie gave me that high-off-movies buzz like La La Land, Damien Chazelle’s magical L.A. musical. All of the awards season records it’s racking up is tempting many to label it as overrated, but I won’t be budging. Yes, a jazz pianist (Ryan Gosling) and a struggling actress (Emma Stone) bonding over failure and finding love is not the most original story of all time, but Chazelle’s virtuoso direction combined with the truly inspired soundtrack - not just “movie good,” but actual good songs - make this instant classic that deserves every single accalade it is given. Similar to Adele’s music, this is truly inclusive art that any demographic can sink themselves into. All this, and I haven’t even mentioned the ending that both nods to the genre’s past and stands alone. This is the kind of movie that will remind you why you watch movies in the first place.
So finally I find myself at the end of my countdown faced with my favorite film of the year: La La Land. I’ve already said that one through three could be interchanged on any respectable critic’s list. For me, though, no other movie gave me that high-off-movies buzz like La La Land, Damien Chazelle’s magical L.A. musical. All of the awards season records it’s racking up is tempting many to label it as overrated, but I won’t be budging. Yes, a jazz pianist (Ryan Gosling) and a struggling actress (Emma Stone) bonding over failure and finding love is not the most original story of all time, but Chazelle’s virtuoso direction combined with the truly inspired soundtrack - not just “movie good,” but actual good songs - make this instant classic that deserves every single accalade it is given. Similar to Adele’s music, this is truly inclusive art that any demographic can sink themselves into. All this, and I haven’t even mentioned the ending that both nods to the genre’s past and stands alone. This is the kind of movie that will remind you why you watch movies in the first place.