“La La Land,” the winner of seven Golden Globes, showcases the classic internal conflict between choosing love or one’s dreams in a manner that created an exemplary film.

The film “La La Land,” written and directed by Damien Chazelle, follows Mia and Sebastian’s (Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling) relationship, as they both work toward their ambitions. Mia is an aspiring actress, while Sebastian is a jazz musician desperately trying to open his own club. The two meet in Los Angeles during modern times in this drama/musical.

Even for those who do not necessarily care for musicals, “La La Land” is an enjoyable film which captivates the audience through its compelling plot. The character development makes the viewer feel attached to Mia and Sebastian, and one cannot help but root for both throughout the film. The musical aspect of the film is used to move the narrative along but does not make itself tedious. While plot is necessary to form a solid story, the director also used technical film making like cinematography to convey the message.

Cinematography is a crucial aspect of any film and it is clear that the director of photography, Linus Sandgren, knew this while shooting “La La Land.” The camera movements are incredibly smooth and feel natural. Each shot seems as though it was carefully planned—the only drawback was when the camera was continually spinning during a dancing scene, which may cause some viewers to feel dizzy.

The color grading of the film is absolutely gorgeous, and it was obvious that a very distinct color pallet was used. The bright yellows, vibrant blues, and deep reds were riddled throughout the set design and wardrobe. Everything in the frame was a specific color, and there was a great deal of attention to even the smallest details. Even the lighting at times was tinted to match the color pallet, which was a genius element. For the best viewing quality possible, head to your local theater to fully enjoy the film the way it was intended to be watched.

Stone and Gosling shined in their performance as Mia and Sebastian, with extremely believable portrayals of each character. Both actors brought forward a sense of vulnerability, which added layers and dimension to the characters. This in turn made the characters feel like genuine people. Based off of this, it is no surprise why both leads won Golden Globes for best actor in motion picture and have been nominated for an Oscar.

The only real criticism I can offer is  a few cheesy and poorly executed effects. These momentarily took the viewer away from the story. However, these were only a small aspect of the film and did not damage the story line or performances

Overall, “La La Land” was an exceptional film which I highly recommend.

Five out of five stars.