An embodiment of every striving artist’s journey. A story of love and sacrifice. La La Land, a dazzling romantic musical directed by Damien Chazelle, combines ideas of fantasy and reality in this nontraditional Hollywood film.

The movie follows the characters Mia and Sebastian, played by Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, respectively. Both characters are absorbed in their own futures and passions, Mia being an aspiring actress at the lowest tier of Hollywood life and Sebastian being a jazz pianist with the desire to keep jazz alive in the modern age.

In the midst of the magical realism presented throughout the film, La La Land emotionally captures what it’s really like to be an artist in current times. Through upbeat musical numbers, soulful jazz melodies, and heart-wrenching piano pieces, the viewer is submerged in the fast-paced lives of the Los Angeles duo and all their struggles and successes.

Through the seasons of the year, the relationship of the two dreamers develops in both unification and separation, focusing not only on their experiences together, but also their quests as individual artists in the impacted and talent-driven fields of music and drama. As time goes on, the theme of sacrifice becomes prevalent as the lovers follow their own paths.

Unlike traditional romance films in which characters are able to “have it all” in the end, La La Land illuminates the very real factor of making life-altering decisions over the course of any career. The couple begin to realize that achieving their goals and staying together is almost impossible in the real world.

Not only is this essence of magical realism consistent in the plot, but it’s also representative in the cinematography. The gorgeous color schemes and bright scenes reflect on the classic Hollywood life the characters desire and attempt to achieve. From the backgrounds to the clothing, the film mirrors many wonderful American musicals from the ‘40s and ‘50s with its radiancy that any musical should have.

Musicals themselves are their own depiction of fantasy, so it was essential that La La Land included this element. The genre made it an ideal placeholder for this adventure of creativity and dreaming, one that touches heavily on the combination of real existence and dream-like aspect that people in relationships reach for.

As expected, the film has also been extremely successful in the box office and during this years award season. La La Land’s refreshing components led the way to winning Best Motion Picture-Musical or Comedy in the Golden Globe Awards, as well as Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling’s winnings for Best Actress and Actor in a Motion Picture-Musical or Comedy. While neither Stone nor Gosling are particularly known for singing and dancing, their charismatic attitudes have granted them perfect for their roles in the film.

For the upcoming Academy Awards, both Stone and Gosling are nominated for Best Actress or Actor in a Leading Role. The film itself is nominated for 11 other awards including Best Picture, giving it a total of 14 nominations.

Overall, La La Land is intoxicatingly exquisite; from the elegant cinematography to the lovable characters, it creates a sense flourishing nostalgia that is embedded into the viewer. It’s a film for artists, or those who appreciate art. It’s a film for dreamers. It’s a film for anyone making their way through life, making decisions and sacrifices, all to find themselves and who they are meant to be.