A bit of a failure

Rating: 4/10 (10 September 2018)

LA LA LAND is an attempt to make an old-fashioned blockbuster movie (of the kind that Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra used to make) with modern-day sensibilities. It's an interesting experiment, and as somebody who is unashamedly old-fashioned, I was looking forward to see how it turned out. The end result is less than impressive, however. The film has a generic digital look and at times feels like GLEE the movie, with overhearsed dance sequences and generic tunes; only one repeated refrain makes the viewer feel anything. Ryan Gosling is adequate as the male lead, although I preferred him in DRIVE, but I'm afraid I found Emma Stone irritating and self-conscious.