One of the perks having a grandmother in the States is to be given original movie video tapes. I’ve became a young fan of Disney movies watching classics like Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid and Aladdin. What’s great in Disney movies, which is still prevalent until now, is their use of memorable songs. I grow up singing “Time as old as time…”, “Part of your world…” and “A Whole New World…” and it is embedded in my DNA as Filipinos are
inherently fond of singing. It also helped that the latter was sung by well-beloved music icon, Lea Salonga.
Aside from Disney movies, live action musicals were also part of my grandma’s balikbayan box. Most noted are the ‘Sound of Music’ and ‘King and I’. To say it was mesmerizing is an understatement. The visuals and sounds formed my early love affairs to movies. I appreciate all kinds of motion
pictures but musicals had always left a strong impression to me.
Forefront in my favorite musical is ‘Les Miserables’ which earned a bucketful of tears from me. It just skins you with raw emotion about human suffering, social injustice, love, sacrifice and
redemption. “On My Own” never fails to shred a bit of my heart, actually even way before when Joey Potter (Katie Holmes) sang it in Dawson’s Creek as a cry for longing on her unrequited love to her best friend, Dawson.
Nicole Kidman with her glittering outfit in a swing swarmed by men was also winner in Moulin Rouge. I remember being incredibly impressed with their rendition of “Like A Virgin”. The part with the song “Come What May”, without any spoken words, just the eyes of the forsaken lovers staring at each other promising that “I will love you, until my dying day…” and end up accepting their tragic fate.
There is a long list of musicals like Mama Mia and Burlesque which I also enjoyed but paled in comparison with the top 2 that I’ve mentioned. Dirty Dancing, with the famous line “Nobody puts baby in the corner.” and its song “Time of My Life” is a cult classic which I am meaning to watch one of these days.
Most recently, LaLaLand had joined my list of unforgettable musicals. Though strangely, I felt detached on some of its scenes. Like the people in the highway stuck in the traffic. Probably because the last thing that I thought of doing when I am in the claustrophobic confines of a vehicle is to sing and dance. Frankly, it seems corny and contrive. And also when Emma and her friends went to a party. It just did not earn a smile from me. I was thinking of the party thrown in the ‘Great Gatsby’ instead which I think is more fun. The circling camera shot and the throng of people just did not do it for me. Maybe when I watch the movie the second time I will appreciate it more.
Other than that, Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling had portrayed unforgettable characters that everyone can relate to. We all have struggles and aspirations like them. We all want to do what we love. We all want to be validated. We all want to make our dreams come true. The movie gained redemption when Emma and Ryan are both on screen doing their song and dance numbers. The best for me was when they were elevated in the stars, dancing around the observatory. It creatively illustrates how intense their feelings are for each other. It is as if they don't have care in the world and everything is beautiful, peaceful and magical.
Their scene in the view park that they both remarked “they’ve seen better” was fun, they just look too good, too graceful together. All their emotions emanating with the rhythm of their movements with the song. The song “City of Stars, are you shining just for me?” will be at the LSS list of movie goers for some time as it is synonymous to the dreamy Ryan Gosling.
The best part in the movie was already the last scene. Emma together with his husband went to the jazz bar of the still bachelor Ryan. Ryan singing while playing the piano. All the moments that could have been in the times that they were together was shown, of course with mesmerizing song and dance number. The artistry was beyond brilliant. It was a montage of different art forms and treatments. It was colorful but subtle. It was edited in a way that it sums up everything that could never be between them. It was a flashback but in an alternative universe where there is a happy ever after for them. It was painful that it was not their reality. There was grief that they were not meant to be. Nonetheless, there is also happiness that they both had gotten their life long dreams. They just said good bye with their eyes with a nod. It was incredible that there was no longing on it, instead, they are grateful that they loved each other, and always will.
