Having walked away with five gongs at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts awards on Sunday, "La La Land" is expected to win big at the Oscars on February 26.

After its Valentine’s Day release in the Chinese mainland, talk of the modern musical is sweeping across the country’s social media platforms with its story of conflict and compromise between love and dreams. Lost in Los Angeles, what are the details that make this wistful song and dance spectacular so appealing? 

With the city of Los Angeles romantically portrayed in the movie, viewers are sold a magical vision of LA life through the story of Mia and Seb. 

There is a sense of nostalgia – not only for the musicals of yesteryear – but also for those who have lived in or traveled to southern California.

“Every single detail of it reminds me of the good old days in LA,” commented @Scarlet on WeChat.

Starting with the opening scene, imagine driving to work on the highway - only in southern California can you experience such a slow, sun-drenched traffic flow (that’s when you can take a moment for yourself and enjoy FM94.9, maybe).

Divided into four seasons as the main characters experience failure and success in the movie, LA is warm and sunny nearly all year round (a short rainy season with cool and pleasant temperatures during wintertime). The air is so fresh that you can even smell a breath of freedom; the sky will be layered with soft colors like a mix of light, purple and slate blue, especially before sunset.

As Mia and Seb dance for the first time, in Griffith Park, darkness falls and the lights of the city below appear as a flowing shining sea of diamond gems hovering in the sky.

The movie was filmed in and around LA, so many onscreen locations can be found in real life – including the Lighthouse café, Griffith Park and Grand Central Market in LA’s Downtown.

The theme of love is a staple of Hollywood movies. So why does La La Land stand out?

Well, it’s the details that matter.

Moments like when Seb walks Mia all the way up the hill to find her car after a party, and he has to turn all the way back as his car is parked right in front of the door – he just wanted to spend more time with her. Every time he stops by Mia’s place and waits for her, he’ll always honk the horn, long and loud, so not only Mia but also the audience knows he’s on his way. And when they sit quietly in the cinema, interested in each other but not the movie, they tentatively touch fingers and then hold hands for the first time in the darkness.

Ah, love. Platitudes and niceties are easily expressed these days via the Internet, but love that comes deeply from the heart is human, it is personal, it is all in the details.

Seb lives in a basement and struggles to pay his bills, while Mia works part-time at a café awaiting calls for another audition. The two lovers have never forgotten their respective dreams, although their lives are full of compromise and conflict. I mean, who hasn’t rented a room with water stains on the ceiling when young - that doesn’t stop you from dreaming big.

Sadly, however, as Seb finally opens up his own jazz club with a name suggested by Mia, and Mia becomes a star who stops by the café she used to work in to get coffee wearing glasses, the two of them no longer stand by each other. 

Closing with a double view of where their dreams may take them, the movie is a unique approach to the dilemma of love and dreams. Despite the vivid scenes of singing and dancing, I’m sure you’ll have your own answers at that crossroads.