La La Land is a 2016 film and 3rd directed by Damien Chazelle, and my personal favorite. The movie follows two star-crossed lovers, Mia and Sebastian (played by Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling). Mia is an aspiring actress, and Seb is a jazz pianist trying to make a living. The two meet several times and become interested in each other. Things are going in the right direction, but will the City of Stars (otherwise known as L.A.) have different plans? The only way to find out is to watch this film!

The movie's plot is great, but I can not just finish my review without talking about the score. This musical is chock-full of songs that show that Damien Chazelle knows what he is doing. Each song goes perfectly with the scenes and will live rent-free in your head for weeks. The choreography that goes with it is also remarkable, and my favorite songs are "A Lovely Night" and "City of Stars." Both tell a compelling story of the two characters in just minutes.

The acting in the movie is also phenomenal, with everyone from Ryan Gosling to John Legend taking the cake. In case this ramble of a review did not explain the film well, I will say that this movie is a love letter to Los Angeles that easily shows all its best attributes and what it can offer to people. I always have so much to write about this movie, which is why any time I try to write about this movie, I can not ever express my feelings in words. I will finish this review by asking you to watch this film. Thanks for reading, and have a great rest of your day!

Review by: Aram H.

Aram is a virtual volunteer at Sylmar Branch Library. He is a 10th grader at Larchmont Charter School.

—Dana Eklund, Sylmar Branch Library