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Here's why 'La La Land' just may be unstoppable at the 2017 Oscars

Industry watchers think it will be a major upset if anything but 'La La Land' wins the best picture Oscar on Feb. 26. Why critics say it looks like a sure win for the movie musical.

鈥淟a La Land鈥� has danced and sung its way into the hearts of those who bestow awards such as the Golden Globes and is viewed as almost impossible to take down at the Oscars on Feb. 26. How did the movie succeed to such an extent during the awards season?聽

鈥淟a La鈥� stars Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone as a jazz pianist and aspiring actress who fall in love in contemporary Los Angeles. It鈥檚 directed by Damien Chazelle of 鈥淲hiplash.鈥�

The movie found acclaim early on after screening at festivals including the Toronto Film Festival and positive reviews from critics. Monitor film critic Peter Rainer gave the movie an A, calling it a 鈥渄eliriously fine movie musical.鈥澛�

鈥淟a La鈥� soon set a record for the most prizes ever received at the Golden Globes (though it did miss out on the usually crucial Screen Actors Guild best ensemble award) and now it鈥檚 viewed as far and away the frontrunner for the best picture prize at the upcoming Oscars.聽

鈥淭his has become the 800-pound gorilla in the Oscar race,鈥� wrote of 鈥淟a鈥� in predicting the best picture for 2017. 鈥淎t this point, barring some sort of catastrophe, the only real question seems to be not if 鈥楲a La Land鈥� wins Best Picture, but just how many Oscars it takes before that final envelope is opened. It is 鈥楲a La鈥欌�檚 to lose this year.鈥澛�

The film has attracted some criticism, with writing that the movie 鈥渋s a culturally isolated film that feels like a rejoinder to this rejoinder, a celebration of moving through the present moment 鈥� political, racial, representational 鈥� with blinders on.... In leaning so hard on Seb鈥檚 jazz classicism as a proxy for unvarnished artistic truth, 鈥楲a La Land鈥� ends up having very little respect for jazz as a living art form.鈥�

But Mr. Hammond doesn鈥檛 think naysayers will have an effect on Oscars night.聽

鈥淸T]he only thing perhaps holding it back might be the feeling that the movie isn鈥檛 important enough, so maybe the Academy will award the top prize to something a little meatier,鈥� he wrote. 鈥淒on鈥檛 count on it.鈥澛�

How did 鈥淟a La Land鈥� become the presumptive Oscars champion, winning over voters and guild members during this awards season?聽

thinks the fact that the movie celebrates the film industry and is an enjoyable experience has helped it.聽

鈥淚t鈥檚 a film that celebrates dreamers and Hollywood itself 鈥� which as we鈥檝e seen with wins for 鈥楾he Artist,鈥� 鈥楤irdman,鈥� and 鈥楢rgo鈥� recently is a plus 鈥� and ultimately it鈥檚 uplifting and fun, which counters the dour national mood of the moment,鈥� he wrote.聽

And writes that 鈥淟a La鈥� may have done so well in part because of its storyline 鈥� it's fairly tame compared to what the Academy may consider more alternative storylines explored among its major competitors.聽

鈥淲hat makes 鈥橪a La Land鈥欌�檚 win seem even more inevitable is that the Academy has a history of not rewarding progressive stories like 鈥楳oonlight鈥� (see: 鈥楤rokeback Mountain鈥欌�檚 loss to 鈥楥rash鈥� in 2006 or 鈥楥arol鈥� failing to garner a Best Picture nomination in 2016),鈥� Mr. Abad-Santos writes of best picture nominee 鈥淢oonlight.鈥� "That history makes a win for 鈥楲a La Land鈥欌�檚 musical escapism 鈥� over a movie about a black gay man鈥檚 tumultuous coming of age 鈥� look even more likely.鈥�