Tepid, Overrated Oeuvre

Rating: 1/10 (1 February 2017)

**Big SPOILER ALERT** Was looking forward to this film, but had to watch in agony from its beginning as a Pepsi commercial to its ending as a Coca Cola commercial. Shocking that this pallid film is being feted for something it is not. Emma Stone, someone who is hard to watch in long extreme closeups throughout the film and Ryan Gosling exhibit no charisma or charm. Their dancing tries to be cute and romantic but is clumsy. The music is dirge-like and not uplifting. The producers should have used more professional musical performers, ones who can inspire when they sing and/or dance. Gosling talks about jazz throughout the film, but we hardly hear any good jazz, especially not the jazz greats he talks about. So how are we to know what is the great jazz that inspired him? His friend says "Jazz is the future." But in reality it's the present, being created as it's played. All of a sudden, Stone, the aspiring actress who shows no acting talent whatsoever, decides to become a playwright without showing any ability or work, except for having an apartment covered with photos of classic movie stars. The banal dialogue, superficial characters and overly long scenes are embarrassments. Stone comes into her old coffee shop and asks for two iced coffees. Immediately a guy standing there puts down a tray with two iced coffees in front of her. Glaring continuity problem there. Throughout the film in almost every scene there is nary a person who is over thirty. The casting people never cared to hire people who reflected the real world, fantasy or not. If the music had been tuneful and clever, the film would be somewhat better. As it is it is dull. he characters exist in a vacuum with no backstory. Only interesting aspect to this film is some of the recognizable Hollywood locations, but locations do not a film make. If anyone still watches the self-aggrandizing Academy Awards, it will be cringe-worthy if this film wins any awards except for production manager or art director. It's a sad state of affairs that this film is considered in high esteem. That accolade belongs to "Singin' in the Rain," "The Band Wagon," "Gigi," "Oklahoma,""South Pacific," "Top Hat,""Wizard of Oz," and films by Astaire, Kelly, Powell, Miller, Charisse, Garland, Crosby, Sinatra, Grable, Keel, and all the great stars who truly were musical comedy class acts. Their talents made even B films a joy to watch.