La La Land – Damien Chazelle – 2016

1. Did you enjoy the film, and why or why not? Was it what you expected?

2. What do Mia and Sebastian want from their lives in LA? What drives each of them to pursue their respective dreams? What does LA represent to them, and how do they experience the city?

3. According to La La Land, what draws people to become artists? Do you think there is any truth to the idea of the ‘artistic temperament’? Why does society need artists?

4. What draws Mia and Sebastian together initially, and what is it that begins to drive them apart? In your view, should they have tried to compromise in order to stay together? When should a personal passion or a dream be prioritized over a relationship?

5. What did you think of the film’s perspective on success and satisfaction? Is La La Land trying to say anything significant in this respect, or does it knowingly present a fantasy? To what extent is it possible to be truly satisfied by career or creative success?

6. How did you feel about the way the story ended? What emotions were you left with, and do you wish it had been a more conventionally happy ending? Why do you think the filmmakers chose to end it in this way?

A Second Look at ‘La La Land’: Why It’s Not Just Good, But Great“La La Land,” in theory, is a movie that needs no explanation. The simplest thing you could call it is “an old-fashioned musical” — which means, of course, that it’s a big c…