Very Good Movie, But Beware of the Hype

Rating: 7/10 (11 January 2017)

First and foremost, don't get me wrong, I really liked this movie, I just didn't love it as much as many other people. I went to a special event of this movie because I wanted to see it as soon as I could. I heard the most wonderful things about it. And it didn't really live up to the hype for me.
The movie is about two dreamers living in LA chasing their career dreams. Emma Stone's character Mia wants to become an actress and Ryan Goslings character Sebastian wants to open his own jazz bar. Soon they fall in love.
I have to say, the movie looks breathtaking. You can really feel that they live in LA, the spirit of the city of angels is tangible. Every part of this film is colorful and bright and sunny. Every shot is like a well composed painting. The costumes and make-up is wonderful, makes the movie feel a bit retro. At first I thought the movie was set in the 50's but it's present day. But I didn't really mind because the characters themselves are quite nostalgic.
The acting was amazing, I loved the characters. Their chemistry felt really natural. However I didn't really like their vocal talents actually. Apart from John Legend's of course. The music was fine, though not as great as I hoped it would be. Some of the songs bored me a little bit after a while. The opening song was fantastic.
The story was a bit up and down for me. I loved the first part, it also had the best songs and dance routines. The second halve of the movie lagged a bit for me. It was also somewhat predictable. The characters didn't seem to develop much further. I really relate to the theme of the movie. I myself am an aspiring artist (I'm a drawer) and I'm trying to find my way in visual development and storyboarding for movies. So I know what it's like to hope for your big break and getting the door slammed in your face. Therefore at some points I wished they focused more on that and less on the romantic plot. Not because I don't like romantic movies (I do) but because the romantic plot wasn't really something new, I have seen that movie many times. The other storyline, about young artist chasing their dreams in LA was much more refreshing. The ending didn't really do it for me, it was as if they were doubting themselves. As if they weren't sure how to end it.
So yes, like anyone will tell you, this movie is great. But don't expect too much, like I did. I thought this was going to be the best movie of the year for me, and it wasn't. If I hadn't heard about all the hype before I would have been pleasantly surprised, but as it is, it was just a good film. Go see it.