Ever since I was little, and studiously sat replaying the ‘Godspell’ soundtrack to memorize the lyrics to ‘All for the Best’, I’ve had a soft spot for musicals. See, the musical universe is one similar to ours, but better - through pain, happiness, loss, and discovery, emotions are laid bare in beautiful, funny, and touching songs - songs that you can take away from the musical and treasure in your own life for those secret moments when you, too, wish you could break into song. And don’t forget the dancing! When strangers can break into perfectly synchronized dance steps on every day sidewalks, life is just a little bit more fun. (Why do you think flash mobs were such a craze?)

I joined my high school theater program because of my love for musicals, and even though high school is hell, the magic of musicals never let me down. From going over the same ten bars of choreography for an hour, to vocal warmups that included rocking out to ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, to late nights building sets and hanging lights, there was always something special in the air. No matter what was happening in life, when you were up there, under the lights, singing your heart out and getting those dance steps down just right, you felt invincible. You felt incandescent. You felt indescribable.

A few weeks ago, I got to experience that feeling again, at a screening of the brilliant new musical starring Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, ‘La La Land.’ During the first moments of “Traffic”, the brilliantly colorful and expertly choreographed opening musical number, I began crying. Not tears of sadness, or even tears of happiness - this was pure joy. For the following two hours and eight minutes, I was transported into that parallel musical universe once again, and when it finished, I didn’t want to return to the real world.

Now I know there are people who draw a line in the sand and say ‘I don’t like musicals’ - to which I say, don’t you have a soul? …Kidding. I’m kidding. (Sort of.) And yes, not every musical is on the same level as, say, ‘Singin’ in the Rain’. (Which was my favorite musical. Until maybe now.) But for those naysayers out there, you still must see this film.

Damien Chazelle, who also directed ‘Whiplash’, weaves a gorgeous, modern musical tale about an aspiring actress and a jazz pianist in L.A. who both have dreams, and are both struggling to realize them. After their paths cross numerous times, they fall into a love story that is at times sweet, at times sad, and altogether felt lovingly real.

Stone and Gosling have perfect chemistry (probably helped by their two previous projects together), and together show off some serious triple-threat abilities as they punctuate their performances with (of course) some singing and dancing. Stone has serious pipes, and almost broke my heart during a beautiful ballad that had me in tears yet again, while Gosling’s effortless charm and comic facial expressions during a particular dance duet puts him alongside the likes of Danny Kaye. (Also, Gosling reportedly played all the piano pieces himself for filming. Which is impressive.)

Without giving too much away, the film is pretty darn perfect, both as a musical and as an awards contender. Apart from the performances, the visual feel of the film was stunning - bright bold colors and striking lighting effects recreated the brighter-than-life feel of musical theater. What really stood out to me was how faithfully ‘La La Land’ explored musical traditions, peppering in subtle homages to classic scenes while creating a tale that you can revisit and enjoy again and again. I especially enjoyed the final extended musical number, in the same vein as ‘Broadway Melody’ or ‘The American in Paris’ ballet, which cleverly references more of my favorite films (shout out to ‘Funny Face’!). It’s the perfect ending to a beautiful film, and I seriously can’t wait to see it again.*

‘La La Land’ should be hitting theaters everywhere in the US on December 16th.

*Sadly I have to wait, because I’ve leaving the country for Christmas, and it won’t be out until mid-January where I’m going, so I have to wait far too long to enjoy this film again! Drat those differing international release dates…