Nostalgia for LA days gone

Rating: 8/10 (20 January 2018)

Faded memories of Old Hollywood. Definitely faded. A touch of Busby Berkeley, a little Fred and Ginger, but fundamentally indebted to Casablanca. On first viewing, not having seen her before, what struck me most were the uniquely fluid and malleable features of Emma Stone. Perhaps it was the soupcon of Bergman blood in her veins. Otherwise, although the plot began to grip a little towards the end, it did not seem impressive. Six Oscars, seven Golden Globes ? On second viewing, it gathered pace. After all, as Rick once said "We'll always have Paris". There was something filmically and musically French about it.