In a word: turgid. Given the hype, I had expected an up-beat colourful, all-singing & dancing romp. Boy, was I disappointed! Save your money and take your loved one for a couple of beers instead.

The opening traffic jam song-dance sequence was a nigh-on unintelligible uninspiring mess that added pointless minutes to what turned out in any case to be an over-long film. From there on we limp though a lacklustre passionless "romance" until we reach an ambiguous ending.

There are a couple of cute songs along the way. The dancing is disappointing, especially if you're thinking of something along the lines of Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers.

Ironically the high spot for me was the sequence where Ryan Gosling's character is playing keyboards in a pop band, something that conflicts with his jazz-based musical values.

Gosling's character seemed mildly depressed throughout. which is not appealing. And although Stone can act convincingly, there's a limit to how much big eyed gazing I can take.

When good films end, an audience will be buzzing with conversation, with smiles on faces. This one ended with silent shuffling. There was a palpable sense of disappointment. Did wives feel guilty for dragging their husbands to such a turkey? And did husbands fume at losing 2 hours of their lives, which could have been spent watching "Homes under the hammer" on TV?