As February is the month of love, the movie that has me head over heels every year is the 2016 musical romance “La La Land.” The film is like poetry in motion, perfectly capturing the imagined glamor of Old Hollywood and the pursuit of one’s untouchable dream. Directed by Damien Chazelle, the movie is about a musician and aspiring actress who fall in love in Hollywood, but their respective dreams threaten to tear them apart.

Without ruining the entire story, Mia (Emma Stone), a struggling actress who has been working tirelessly for six years, and Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) do not start out on a good foot, but eventually find themselves falling in love with each other. After hearing his piano in a restaurant, Mia meets Sebastian, a proud jazz musician who wants to open a jazz club and keep the genre alive. While the plot keeps viewers engaged, there are many other unexpected elements that make this movie one-of-a-kind.

The look of “La La Land” simply cannot be forgotten. The bright colors that invade the screen from the moment we see the cars in LA traffic to the bittersweet look that Mia and Sebastien exchange at the end of the film give us a beautiful world that one cannot look away from.

While at the start of the movie, we are met with vibrant, flashy colors, as the film pans out and the characters grow further apart, the overall palette of the movie uses cooler tones. This visually tells the audience the state of Mia and Sebastien’s relationship, which I find extremely creative.

While the colors tell a visual tale, the sound of the music tells an auditory one. Unlike other musicals, the songs of “La La Land” are not theatrical, but take more of a jazz approach. The opening song, “Another Day of Sun,” is as theatrical as the movie gets, yet still has jazz rhythm elements.

The song that stands out the most to me is “Mia and Sebastian’s Theme.” It is an instantly recognizable melody, using flutes, harps and clarinets that captures the audience with its sweet and soft beginning, before it eventually becomes louder and faster as it progresses. In a way, it is similar to “Clair De Lune,” by Claude Debussy in that style.

Another interesting element to note is that the music notes start off far apart, then come together and then drift apart again repeatedly until the end of the song when the notes are drastically far apart from each other. This represents the couple’s relationship throughout the movie as they drift together and apart constantly. “Mia and Sebastien’s Theme” is played throughout the movie, introducing the lovers as well as finishing their story in the only fitting way.

The ending of “La La Land” has been a controversial subject for watchers. Spoiler alert, Mia and Sebastian do not end up together. Many people find this unnecessary and dislike it. However, I think it is essential to the story. The idea is that two people are trying to make it in their respective dreams and could not do it together, though they tried. At the end of the film, both Mia and Sebastian have achieved their goals.

As an audience, we would like them to reconcile and date again. However, realistically, they would not get back together. They will always love each other, as they said toward the end, but dreams and what each of them came to Hollywood to pursue is far more important than any relationship. I admire the emphasis on pursuing your passions fully and never compromising for another person.

“La La Land” is must-watch for this season of love. While it may end in heartbreak, the story just might inspire you to follow your dreams.