A good effort but nothing exceptional

Rating: 7/10 (29 January 2017)

A modern take on the classic Hollywood musical. It baffles me how such a high profile movie can divide opinion so much with reviews here ranging from 1 â€“ a waste of time to 10 â€“ my best movie ever. I think the hype surrounding this movie has left a lot of people feeling robbed and angry. I went to see the movie open minded. I'll qualify my views by firstly stating I'm a male in the over 40's age bracket. I've thoroughly enjoyed movies like Grease and Moulin Rouge in the past.
I would say that this film's appeal is that it's different to the 'run of the mill' Hollywood films. That could be why it's getting so much attention. Suddenly we have a new film which isn't like all the others! From that point of view it's a good effort. For the most part it does actually work quite will if you stick with it. Performances from the two lead actors are good.
After the opening sequence and early stages of the movie I was unsure where it was going. However, I started to find it 'pleasant' to watch. Whilst the music score and singing are not the best, it was sufficient. However, I found the end was disappointing and left me feeling flat. I think a movie like this must have a 'happy ending'. In my view, dare I say it, this movie will appeal mostly to a female audience who appreciate something different. Decide for yourself.