What I liked: Ryan Gosling - what's not to love about such a talented, endearing, genuinely gifted actor who is also so gloriously easy on the eye? Emma Stone's portrayal of a would-be starlet Mia is both believable and engaging. The cinematography, though far from innovative definitely compliments the plot providing an essential dynamism and facilitates a colourful landscape upon which the story sits comfortably. The films score is irrefutably blatant in its repetitiveness yet none-the-less befits the plot and, at times is both heart rending and catchy. The plot, while hardly novel in concept (rather, a mulch of countless 'let's make it big in Hollywood' films of the past) still manages to command interest....I didn't fall asleep. Indeed, I felt myself rooting for the film and experienced an overwhelming keenness for it to realise success.....? What let it down: Both Ryan and Emma are certainly accomplished young actors who are completely lovable and engaging. So much so, dear reader, that I am almost ashamed to lament that neither can really sing.... So let's be real now, how can one hope to deliver a seminal musical piece if the lead characters 'pipes' don't cut the mustard? Add to that a distinct lack of chemistry between 'him and her' (re-examine their on screen kisses...the passion just ain't there?), an overly repetitive score, a far too obvious plot line, weird (are they on acid?) scenes that simply don't fit and far, far too many 'lulls' in the plot line (where many people in the movie theatre started chatting or going to the toilet etc) and you're left with a film that sadly, can only be described as average.

In my opinion, Hollywood is so desperate to resurrect a time honoured 'musical' tradition that it has blindly bought in to La La Land desperately touting it an exemplar of musical excellence for the millennium when in truth, the film offers little more than a pedestrian jaunt along a lane oft tread (albeit doing so with significantly less pizzaz than its predecessors).

If I'm honest however, I must attend to the question of why I harbour so much guilt at leaving such a disconsolate review... Perhaps I am missing a trick? It is possible that this is a film that warrants a second watch or a particular kind of viewer to really get it. I advise you to watch it and judge for yourself!