A Fun But Overrated Musical

Rating: 7/10 (2 December 2017)

Perhaps it was all the hype, but I came away from viewing "La La Land" a bit underwhelmed. Yes, it was a fun film with some heart, and the whole family can enjoy it. It does remind you of films from Hollywood's better days. How often do we get to see a script-to- screen musical? I understand that some members of the academy perhaps wanted to encourage more of this kind of film making, and I'd like to see more as well. That said, this is not a great film. It does have it's moments. The story is bittersweet, and the cinematography is wonderful -- LA hasn't looked this good in a long time. I enjoyed the music, especially the theme track. There's a lot of energy in this film, and it keeps you interested from beginning to end. But I don't think the final product deserves all the Oscars, even if I've never thought much of them anyway. Everything is done well, even really well at times. The lead actors are earnest and likable. We're rooting for them, but it doesn't add up in the end. I found the progression of the plot in the final 30 minutes to be a bit of a stretch. These two were never really meant for each other. I found their friendship much more believable than their romance. Neither actor is a skilled dancer, musician, or singer. They pulled it off, but their performances aren't memorable. Viewing La La Land was a fun two hours, but I'm not interesting in watching it a second time.