One can say many things about writer-director Damien Chazelle's "La La Land" and, indeed, the critics' plaudits and accolades have already infiltrated our national consciousness: it's a valentine to movie musicals; it's a musical for people who don't like musicals; it's a feel-good movie for all audiences; it's a tonic for our national malaise. The story--separated into seasonal chapters--is pretty basic: Emma Stone is a barista on the Warner Bros. movie lot who aspires to be an actress but can't get passed the audition phase; Ryan Gosling is a jazz pianist who longs to play his own compositions. They encourage each other to follow their dreams, which doesn't necessarily mean taking the financially lucrative road (although having money in the bank would certainly be an incentive for a better future, even if the 'artistic value' isn't there yet). Yes, Chazelle is in love with movies--he steals enough from the motion picture past to tell us that--and, certainly, the opening musical number on a jammed Los Angeles freeway is full of contagious acrobatic joy and celebration. The trouble is, these two young people aren't willing to compromise (perhaps that would be allowing for too much realism). Chazelle attempts to show us that success doesn't always lead to happiness, yet his protagonists don't see the big picture; starry-eyed, they want instant gratification through artistic expression. The dancing is polished (too polished, I thought) and the early numbers (such as one with Stone and her girlfriends) have a sprightly quality that is old-fashioned in concept and charmingly lacking in pretension. Still, the hardships of a romantic relationship pulled in different directions isn't all that interesting here, mainly because Gosling and Stone seem so charmed and picture-perfect. She trembles with a beginner's desperation during her auditions and is convincingly unhappy when her one-woman show doesn't pan out, but watching her out to dinner with an affluent date and his friends reveals nothing more than a princess eager to try another throne. Gosling has a moment or two when he's able to give us a natural response to a line or situation, but his concern for Stone seldom registers. The brightly-painted film is reaching for a certain height--a plastic paradise, a movie heaven--that will flood us with good feelings in its attempt and break our hearts with its climax. However, if you are not invested in these characters by the midway point, it will all seem like a glossy charade. ** from ****