I don't understand the high praise for this movie. Yes, Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone are both charismatic actors and enjoyable to watch, but even they are not able to move the film above average plus. I felt like I was watching a fairly good Woody Allen film that kept getting interrupted by musical numbers. One of my pet peeves with musicals is when the music comes in without any reason other then to have a musical number at that moment. Music in the best of musicals should further the story - not stop it mid stream. I was really disappointed as the hype had led me to expect a truly ground-breaking return to the Hollywood musical. It isn't.