I feel Like John Galt standing alone in a throng of mindless sheep. I watched the entire running. This film is tripe stuffed with regurgitated everything. I get the whole Stage dressing/theater sets = "set atmosphere" thing however, it was so heavy handed that it lost its flavor and appears to be an overused budget tool. After watching it I saw it as a collage of stereotypes from all the old musicals relaying heavily on a film model that was stale and even crusty at points.

That said, I was amazed at Ryan Gosling's piano shots. He was sublime on the keyboard shots and learning to play for this movie. Nothing cheap or cliché about talent. Both he and Emma Stone did a great job of transitioning from their respective scenes into those musical numbers. I found myself amazed that she could be carrying me through a scene just to have her leave me in disbelief that that it was but an intro to a campy song.

This movie is nothing but a "tribute band" to a bye gone era put together today in some kid's dorm room. It is quaintly filled with Drag Queen-esque songs and endless clichés. The actors made this movie happen. They earned their money.