When we first meet our protagonists, they are stuck in a very long traffic jam-as they are, symbolically, in their own lives. The prevalence of cars is more than just realism. The film is set in L.A., where a lot of time is spent in the car. Their dual selves could only travel together for so long finally the life they share-between their everyday selves-is torn apart up by the force of their bigger, individual dreams. Who knows?' Even though the stars seems to shine brightly for them on that night, the opening lyrics points to a deeper knowledge: that they fundamentally don't know what they can't see.Īnd so it makes sense that these star-crossed lovers should part by the end. In 'City of Stars,' Mia and Sebastian sing 'City of stars, are you shining just for me? City of stars, there's so much that I can't see. The film sometimes suggests a destiny that we can't see. Eventually the tension between these two selves becomes too much for the individual to bear.

Perhaps one could argue that Mia and Sebastian both contain dream selves, or selves who are propelled to reach their dreams, and these selves live alongside their day-to-day realities: serving coffee, getting stuck in traffic and even falling in love. The first time we see Mia hum her way into what would presumably be a first solo song, had her housemate not interrupted her, she is looking at herself in the bathroom mirror. And so each of our main characters first appears in a different aspect than their 'true' self. She isn't at all-she's just practicing for a role. And when we meet Mia for the first time, we think she is on a phone call. The first time we see Sebastian, what we actually see is his reflection in the car mirror.

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