For this issue of Movie Madness, Will Eaton (12) and George Proctor (11) have chosen a movie to fit the current atmosphere of love.

“La La Land” is a film that follows the lives of Sebastian (played by Ryan Gosling) and Mia (played by Emma Stone). In the movie, their passions, love lives and fears are explored, with the storyline focusing on how the duo handles them. Sebastian has a passion for jazz and has always dreamed of opening his own jazz club. Mia, on the other hand, is an aspiring actress and often visits auditions to try and find the role that best suits her. The two end up becoming entangled in each other’s lives and fall in love with each other. But their love for one another ends up putting a damper on their dreams being accomplished, as Sebastian struggles with his music, and Mia is never accepted for a part. It isn’t until they break up that they are able to accomplish their dreams, despite how badly they want to end up together.

Although their attraction to one another is very strong, Sebastian and Mia’s passions keep them from spending their lives with each other. This is shown through the theme of how interconnectedness shapes people’s lives. In some cases, dreams can’t be achieved, but love can be found. However in other cases, like the one shown in “La La Land,” dreams can be achieved, but at the loss of love. People owe it to themselves to follow their dreams and see where those dreams might lead, even at the loss of a relationship.

Overall, the thematic journey the characters go through is a major reason why the movie receives a lot of praise. The soundtrack and cinematography are also brilliantly done, which adds to the bright and bubbly atmosphere that the movie displays. The film informs the viewer that they must be able to follow their dreams, even at the expense of relationships that have been formed at the time.

Based upon the theme that informs the watcher – a valuable life lesson on dreams – and award-winning movie production, the movie earns an 8.5/10 for changing the way the world may see movies with songs built into the plot.