What the end of cinema may look like

Rating: 3/10 (15 December 2017)

Saw this via HBO on demand 12/9/17.
I found myself watching the clock after Emma Stone's first audition scene. The word "insipid" could have been invented with this over-praised movie in mind. If "La La Land" contains any harvestable celluloid --or even Mylar - let it be recycled for ukulele picks at the earliest opportunity.
All of the no-dance dance numbers, the prole-music songs, the mediocre scene-study acting add up to an excellent reason to stick with YouTube, public library DVD collections, and any remaining used book stores. With their many improbable finds, all of the latter are superior ways to find entertainment, intellectual stimulation, or simply the inducement of sleep. Even sitting in a corner doing nothing is a less expensive way to waste two hours and eight minutes. There is better production design and more imaginative cinematography to be found in your average halftime television commercial.
And yet: Six (6) Oscars: Emma Stone (actress); Damien Chazelle (director) as well as cinematography, music, song, and production design. Even more Golden Globes. If La La Land is what it looks like these days to be in contention for a Best Motion Picture award, the end of cinema is upon us.