Summary
WithLa La Landreturning to Netflix in June 2024, another celebrated Ryan Gosling romance movie from 2010 is the perfect follow-up.Gosling is still fresh off hisBarbiesuccessof last year, which became thehighest-grossing movie of 2023, and recently starred in thecelebrated action filmThe Fall Guyalongside Emily Blunt and Aaron Taylor-Johnson. Gosling, 43, has had a decorated career since his early days as a child actor and part of the Mickey Mouse Club in 1993.
La La Land, written and directed by Damien Chazelle, is undoubtedly one of the best movies of Gosling’s career. The film infamously lost Best Picture at the 89th Academy Awards toMoonlightafter it was mistakenly announced thatLa La Landhad taken home the converted prize. It did end up with six Oscars, however, including Emma Stone’s first Best Actress award, as well as Best Director, Best Cinematographer, and Best Original Score. The film also earned a 91% on Rotten Tomatoes from critics.

La La Land: The 25 Most Emotional Quotes, Ranked
Damien Chazelle’s La La Land was a romantic musical starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone. The movie is full of emotional quotes like these.
Why You Should Watch Blue Valentine If You Like La La Land
Both tell love stories with deeply emotional effects
Blue Valentineoffers a realistic yet devastating portrait of a long-term relationship between Gosling’s Dean and Michelle Williams' Cindy.
WhileLa La LandandBlue Valentinecertainly have different tones, andBlue Valentinedoes not possess any original musical numbers,the films are both centered on the highs and lows of a passionate lovebetween Ryan Gosling’s character and co-star. Written and directed by Derek Cianfrance (The Place Beyond the Pines,Sound of Metal),Blue Valentineoffers a realistic yet devastating portrait of a long-term relationship between Gosling’s Dean and Michelle Williams' Cindy.

In the interest of avoiding spoilers, the endings of bothBlue ValentineandLa La Landshare similar themes with deeply moving outcomes.La La Landuses Los Angeles as a backdrop for its contemporary romance and leans into the city’s rich history of entertainment to tell the story of Sebastian and Mia, while Blue Valentine’s gritty working-class New York setting adds to the film’s honest and highly realistic effect. The two films are quite different in style and aesthetic, butboth love stories cue the tissue box.
Blue Valentine Is Even More Heartbreaking Than La La Land
Blue Valentine hits viewers with an emotional sledgehammer
Fans ofLa La Land’soutstanding score and its idealized version of a love story might want to takeBlue Valentineoff their watchlist.
Much ofLa La Landhighlights the origin of Mia and Sebastien’s relationship, which makes for many scenes full of happiness and dancing under the Los Angeles sunshine.Blue Valentinedoes show the highs of the relationship between Gosling and Williams' characters, but it’s also quite brutal and hits viewers with an emotional sledgehammer over and over. Fans ofLa La Land’soutstanding score and its idealized version of a love story might want to takeBlue Valentineoff their watchlist. However, it is arguably one of the most poignant films about the actual dynamics of relationships, marriage, and parenting.

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La La Land
Cast
La La Land follows aspiring actress Mia and jazz musician Sebastian in Los Angeles, portrayed by Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling. As they pursue their dreams amidst a series of auditions and gigs, their love story is tested by the pressures of ambition and success in the entertainment industry.