THE VIDEO GUY will admit when he's wrong!
So I went into La La Land expecting exactly nothing. I was concerned that it was just gonna be a self-congratulatory pile of Hollywood fluff, and some may argue that it is. I beg to differ. Love the stars, and they work well together...but really! Having seen Hidden Figures and Lion and Fences, I couldn't imagine this movie holding up against those in a competition for Best Film of the Year. But now I can see why the Academy fell in love with it. Any preconceived notions of mine must have been based on the trailers, which do not do justice to the film in my opinion! First, it's not really a "musical" in my mind; it's a love story with music. And the love story part was engaging and sweet, and resolved in a way that allowed me to think highly of the writer and director. They didn't dismiss poignancy. Ryan Gossling's smile at the end was all-telling and perfect. The MUSIC was fabulous. May be the only soundtrack I will own besides "Standing in the Shadows of Motown," I liked the music that much. The cinematography was terrific, the acting was solid. However, Emma Stone: Best Actress - not convinced on that one, given the other nominations. She was as good as this in "Easy A"...because she's a good actress; but "best" I find hard to accept. It's easy to adore her in just about any role, I will say that.) I walked out of the theater feeling completely satisfied with this romantic film...and that was quite unexpected. Go see it for a very pleasant experience, and a reminder (if we need one) that we need to keep believing in our dreams, and pursuing them! Don't let aging stand in the way, friends...a dream doesn't change just coz we get older...but we may 'get older' if we allow our dreams to dissolve without going after them with gusto!