Amusing but not great..

Rating: 7/10 (23 January 2017)

A lot of reviews on IMDb thought that this movie deserved a 1/10, and more considered it a great one. And while it seems that this movie is having an undeserved rating, I wouldn't consider it really a bad one. In fact, I had fun watching it and though it is a bit long for its content, it is nevertheless amusing.
Yes, movies are subjective.. but still one can judge a movie for what it has got to offer.. especially for movie lovers a set of artistic principles can be laid.
I'll be quick on its positive aspects: The music (not the dancing and singing) is good. The plot is entertaining.. some of the scenes (especially between Stones and Gosling) are innovative, and others attempted to revive the classics. Chazelle also put a great deal of effort with the camera-work.
Well for the negative side, the singing and dancing were not so good.. and for a musical this is really important. Some said that it was better that the singing was modest, for it appeals more to the characters. But really, a musical should introduce something beautiful for the viewer to get emotionally attached and it won't seem abnormal.. it is a musical after all. Look at West Side Story (1961) or Singin' in the Rain (1952); every song is memorable.. well and that is another issue with La La Land. I forgot the songs the minute the movie ended.
The characters also seemed a bit shallow. Gosling's character was a bit deeper than Stone's, but his acting was bad. Emma made a good effort in acting to enhance her character.
The script also seemed of little depth. So it is about following your dreams (an idea now overused) and the conflicts one may encounter with the person he/she loves.. and while there is nothing indeed special about this, I have to say that the execution makes it somehow dull. The dialogue is bluntly thrown at us with nothing to take hold of. At some point in the movie I remembered "In the Mood for Love (2000); a drama/romance movie that I found much deeper and better executed.
I won't say anything about the movie's last 15 or 20 minutes that would spoil the movie for you.. but I'd like to point out that it is really inconsistent with the rest of the movie. I think many had the same feeling.. and the way the movie neglected some of the details was not helpful at all.
All in all, "La La Land" is a descent movie and a fun to watch.