La La Land begins with a scene of typical Los Angeles traffic—the freeway backed up with cars and everyone a bit frazzled. But don’t let the bumper-to-bumper traffic and incessant honking turn you away. This scene may stir up frustration and boredom, but it is the only displeasing thing about this film. La La Land is quick to recover and capture your attention.

La La Land erupts into bright colors and song. In the middle of the freeway. In Los Angeles. What’s not to love? As a perfect team, director Damien Chazelle, cinematographer Linus Sandgren, and composer Justin Hurwitz work to draw you into the experience with their carefully created masterpiece.

The film stars Emma Stone as Mia, a down-on-her-luck actress, working at a coffee shop between auditions and Ryan Gosling as Sebastian, a jazz pianist who dreams of saving the genre by opening his own jazz club. Their first meeting is not pleasant, so when they encounter each other again it’s definitely not well received and involves a hilarious, but dreaded cover of “I Ran” with Gosling on the keytar. You should consider seeing the film, if only for this scene. But with time Mia and Sebastian bond over their similar passion to achieve their dreams.

As Sebastian and Mia both encounter struggles and successes in their careers the film showcases the effects it has on their relationship. After not experiencing advancement in his career, Sebastian decides to take a job that he had been denying for years. His new gig causes tension between the two as Sebastian loses sight of his end goal. But Mia has not forgotten hers. In an attempt to make it as a big screen actress, she writes and stars in her own one-woman show. In the fallout of Sebastian’s new job and Mia’s show, their commitment to each other and their aspirations are tested.

Throughout the film, Stone and Gosling act with such emotion and authenticity that extend further than the screen—making it easy to relate to the characters. The emotions expressed by Stone and Gosling during their triumphs and hardships can be felt in the audience. Even though I was not starring in a one-woman show or touring with a band, I felt like I was up on stage with them and when Mia went to her big audition, I had butterflies in my stomach, experiencing nerves the same way she did. The performance by both actors in La La Land reaches each viewer in a different way because it is so well developed and heartfelt.

This incredible acting in La La Land isn’t even the best part; what makes La La Land unforgettable is the cinematography and score. Cinematographer Linus Sandgren created a piece of art with this film. The camera work tells the story. Its fluid motion and creative perspectives mimic the feelings and motions of the characters immersing you deeper into the piece. The cohesive color palette used in scenery, costumes and backgrounds is enhanced by the visual work of the cameras. The score developed by Damien Chazelle pulls the experience together. The familiar notes that repeat draw your attention to important scenes. While other pieces, such as “Planetarium”, tell the story better than dialogue could. The film score highlights the already great acting in La La Land.

The film La La Land will completely capture your attention, longer than the two hour runtime. I listened to the soundtrack for months after seeing it. I constantly hummed the tune to the Oscar nominated “City of Stars” —but, I’m not complaining. The dramatic film shows a great love story, with a hint of comedy, that captures the desire we all have to live out our dreams. I encourage you to see this film as soon as possible. Not a second spent watching La La Land will be wasted time.