So ... I finally got to watch "La La Land" which, according to my friends, is a movie that will resonate strongly with me. And they were right.
These were the scenes which hit home and sent my overanalyzing brain into a state of frenzy.
A Lovely Night. That scene where Sebastian walked with Mia while she looked for her car through an endless row of similar cars. It was a regular harmless activity which slowly sparked something wonderful. But they were both quick to write it off as a "complete waste of a lovely night". These days it's hard to assume, when people are so casual about sex but guarded with their feelings. Love is a rare commodity that demands the highest price of vulnerability. And, heaven forbid, the first person to show vulnerability inevitably loses. Would you gamble your innermost being for love?
Argument Over Surprise Dinner. This was one of the most painful scenes, when, as an observer, you know they both love each other and you are helpless to keep them from spiraling. Communication between a man and a woman has always been tricky. That's why the book, "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus", is such a hit. Somehow we say one thing and it doesn't quite translate accurately. Or, perhaps, it's simply because we feel something strongly and are either too embarrassed or too proud to articulate it honestly.
"I'm Going Home HOME". Working towards our dreams can be very challenging. And, when the person you need the most to believe and support you falls short, there's no better place to lick your wounds than home. Home, where, stripped of all the masks, you are still loved completely.
"I'm Always Gonna Love You." That moment when she asks "Where are we?" and he responds with, "You have to follow your dream ... I am going to do my own thing ... We'll just have to wait and see." When they say "I'm always gonna love you", you know a choice has been made and it's goodbye. Sometimes you find someone who means a lot to you, but you're headed towards different directions; want completely different things out of life; cannot compromise the dreams that scream louder and are much more demanding than the heart. So you let go ... even though you know in your heart that you're always gonna love this one person. It's a choice you make and you live with.
To La La Land and Back ... in One Song. That fated moment when Mia walks into Sebastian's jazz bar with her husband. That heavy-chested moment when all composure must be kept in front of the audience and the unknowing husband. That utterly sad piano piece when scenes from their what-could-have-been life flashed and passed between them. That painful final note that pulled them back to their current reality. (Damn!). Regret is a bitter pill, especially when you come face-to-face with the unretractable implications of your choices.
The Final Look Back. Mia stood up to leave and glanced back at Sebastian one last time. The silent volumes that passed between them - the pained helpless look, transforming into resignation then forgiveness and goodbye. (Oh, such feels!). There are things much harder to let go than the rest. But it is for the best.
Reality, afterall, is much much different from La La Land. Although that does not stop anyone from wishing and hoping for a Hollywood (or Disney Land) happy ending (happily ever after).
PS
Breathtakingly artful production design!
Her wardrobe is tasteful and classy ... and the colors perfectly complement the entire set. (I want those pieces!).
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