A film that brought back memories

Rating: 8/10 (23 January 2017)

It was a dark Monday night in January and so I went to the movies. This is the film of the moment so I went to try it, without too much idea of what I might see. I saw it described as a musical. I wouldn't call it that - it's a romance with some music and dancing in it and a little touch of fantasy. The two leads were unknown to me, so I was coming to them fresh. I liked Ryan Gosling; he played his character cool and understated - just right, I thought. As for Emma Stone, what can I say about this young lady? She is not "conventionally" beautiful but she has what I would call an "interesting" face. Every emotion she feels registers on her face and in her lovely eyes. She comes across as elegant and stylish - she had me hooked on her from the start. She wants to be a movie actress and he wants to own his own jazz club. It is a struggle but they both make it in the end. What makes this film great is that five years later she comes back with her husband and little child. A conventional romance would have seen them finish with each other but this film has the courage to show that you don't necessarily end up with someone you love. That is true in real life. She and her husband see Sebastien in his jazz club and the memory is triggered. They both wonder how things would have gone if they had married each other. When I got home I was in bed quite a while before I slept. Even after I slept, I dreamt. In my dreams I saw scenes from the film and I also saw the face of the girl I loved 20 years ago. I don't know where she is now but she helped make my life better. There are people you never forget. So to everyone who made this film - the director, the screenwriter, the cinematographer, the composer and above all the two stars I say thank you. This is why I love music and dancing and films. This film touched my heart because it reminded me of the happiest time in my own life. This is why the arts are an essential part of human life. Will it do well at the Oscars? I'll be very surprised if it doesn't!