OK, I hate all musicals,,, except this one, dammit!

Rating: 10/10 (8 January 2017)

Never been moved much by musicals though I've always admired those of Fred Astaire. But this movie is not some glitzy re-humanization of being rich during The Depression. It's actually almost the opposite, a musical centered on the little people striving to succeed while enduring the ups and downs of relationships and two branches of the entertainment business, one an actress, the other a jazz pianist.
Thing is the two leads here, Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, are not easy to picture in a romantic musical. But, without a doubt, they're an inspired choice who will make you wonder, just how much talent is there in Hollywood? It's mind-boggling to contemplate. What's more, these two fine actors are so evenly matched here that it's impossible to tell which came first, the pairing or the script. Clearly they had an uncanny grasp of the form though it's been years since there's been such a successful one.
This movie so deftly navigates all sorts of truth about so many elusive things that it's not worth picking a few. Just go see it, even if you don't like musicals. It will win you over.