whose land is it?
The Lighthouse Cafe, La La Land
Since I first read the plot of “La La Land”, I had a feeling. I had a feeling that I’d love the story that was taking a chance. In a town like Hollywood where taking a chance on being something a little bit different can win big or lose big – depending upon how one sees it, the story buzz on this tale seemed more than warranted the leap of legs and faith.
I’ve spoken about the comedy musical rather often on this zine in the past few months. There was a segment in September on Culture Cooler and its appearance at TIFF when it captured the Audience award in October and I was still waiting on heel to see it. In November, when it took a lot of the specialty film community for a twirl and landed on the cover of the Arts section of the New York Times; in December when it finally opened to the public to record box office numbers for a specialty film on just five screens. And, now for its Golden Globe nominations – SEVEN – and winning them all.
So, in a land of La LA, where titles speaks of dreamy dreams and some impossibilities comes an original musical about a barista who aspires to be an actress and a jazz musician who wants to play real jazz, save the art form and open a club of his own. For this musical’s love of music, dancing on crowded L.A. freeways, revealing that all endings may not be fair but are trajectory and for loving the role a cafe plays in an actors life and any aspiring dreamer who holds down a barista job while pursuing their real dream, this film is universally for them and for us all.
Coffee becomes scene apparent in a cafe; across a piano, on a white shirt as a spill before Mia’s audition and as part of the lines of a most well written script.
“I get coffee five miles out of the way, just so I can be near a jazz club.”
For the culture, for the coffee, for the La La in Land and for me who waited until being in my hometown of La La to finally see the specialty musical comedy, congratulations to a historic opening weekend to historic. Out where it won every category it was nominated in as well as taking the record for most Globes won by a picture. Below are its official winnings: