Technically good

Rating: 8/10 (18 April 2017)

I expected more from a movie that received such high acclaim. I enjoyed it but I didn't love it like I had been set up to think I would. My biggest problem is that I wanted more depth from the story, but I don't know what I was expecting from a movie called "La La Land". It's as romantic and whimsical as the title suggests.
I suppose as someone who isn't much of a romantic I maybe wasn't the intended audience for this movie. I can't truly appreciate the nostalgic feeling for old Hollywood, and ultimately the movie is probably amazing for a very niche group and just OK for most everyone else. I wasn't wowed by the music or the production design, which are the aspects I was most looking forward to. I felt that it was stylistically inconsistent and I kept being pulled out of the movie to analyze the design decisions, especially in terms of the set and costumes.
Overall I do think it is a great film, it just didn't quite meet my expectations.