City of Stars Linus Sandgren, FSF infuses Los Angeles with heightened reality and a colorful glow in writer-director Damien Chazelle's musical throwback La La Land. By Mark Dillon *|* 56 January 2017 B oth romantic comedy-drama and homage to the golden age of the Hollywood musical, writer-director Damien Chazelle's La La Land is rooted in the present, yet imbued with a timeless quality. As it opens, Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) and Mia (Emma Stone) meet confrontationally in a Los Angeles traffic jam and go their separate ways, not realizing how much they have in common. They are two among thousands of young L.A. denizens struggling to make it in showbiz. He's a frustrated jazz pianist, talented but committed to a traditional style that can't earn him a living. She's a barista and wannabe actress who can't get beyond soulcrushing auditions and an alienating Hollywood scene. They cross paths again when Mia is lured into a restaurant by an affecting musical performance. She finds Sebastian at the keys, submerged in a free-form jazz piece that's too offscript for his boss ( J.K. Simmons). She wants to compliment him but he brushes her off. It takes one more chance meeting American Cinematographer