A modern musical classic!

Rating: 10/10 (27 April 2017)

Unusually for me, I actually had good expectations going in to this movie. I've always loved the classic musicals of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers and to see such a film as La La Land hit theatres in this day and age felt like some sort of revival of the long dead musical genre. But the big question is, is there anything under the surface? Is it just a fun musical with great songs, or is there more than just that?
Well, it's with deep pleasure that I can in fact say it isn't just a musical - if anything, it's a good story first, a great musical second.
Yes, I went in expecting a good musical, and to be honest, if all it was was that, I would have no complaints. But this movie took it another level. It had an extra layer that I wasn't expecting.
I enjoyed 2017's Beauty and the Beast remake a lot. It delivered, with great songs, and brilliant dance choreography, but let's be honest - if you take all that away, what would you have? It wouldn't be half the movie it was without the musical side of things.
Take La La Land, and you have a movie that would work fine even if you took the musical side of things away. The songs only make it even greater than it would have already have been.
The chemistry between the two leads feels genuine and believable. They don't feel like fictional characters. Instead, they feel like real human beings, with real aspirations and real dreams, hoping to prove their worth. As someone with big dreams of hitting it big, this undoubtedly hit to heart with me.
I've heard some backlash from some, people who want to get over critical due to the movie's massive success. Some say it's nothing but an excuse for Hollywood to glorify themselves with much narcissism. Those people completely misunderstood the whole point of this movie. This is a raw portrayal of Hollywood, and the challenge one has to achieve success.
The ending - I dare not spoil it! It is the very cherry on top of a delicious cake.
I tell you, if you have not watched La La Land, believe the hype! It's as good as they say it is!