Not enough musical in this

Rating: 7/10 (10 April 2017)

La La Land is a musical set in, and mostly about, Hollywood and those who try to find their way in it. It starts out with a big musical number on the highway and promises much. It is also there we meet our two main characters, Mia and Sebastian. Mia, a struggling and aspiring actress, and Sebastian, an equally struggling jazz pianist. They keep running into each other and this musical evolves into a romance.
Unfortunately, even if it brings along a lot of music, it leaves the musical pretty much behind. Much of the ensemble and dance scenes as the introduction sets the tone for fail to materialize. it is a good, but rather classic romance about how two people meet (in this case meet and meet again) and ultimately fall for each other. Predictably trouble then ensues. Music and a songs are a central theme in this, but this is not as much a musical as I hoped.
I like Stone's and Gosling's performances, and I like the characters. I like the storytelling in the movie, it has some nice tricks with time and what if's. But I feel I don't really get what I expected.
And, in the end, was it a happy ending?
7/10