La La Land (2016)

1. I hate musicals. 2. Romances are depression triggers. 3. What the hell I'm doing at this movie? ... I was asking myself around a week ago when I was ready to jump from my seat and head to the nearest exit of the cinema hall where "La La Land" was running contrary to a strong habit of finishing a movie once I started watching. And while I was trying for one more time to justify to myself that I'm there for blogging interests in respect to an almost certain Oscar contender, that initially seemed tolerable and to be in the same line with "Whiplash" = where music is the movie subject, not the way of expression (didn't watch the trailer, big mistake), well ... the change arrived ...

So, to be clear, "La La Land" is a classic musical = we have the specific singing and dancing intermezzo scenes. Maybe not so frequently, but definitely hits you from start with a scene of a traffic jam in a sunny Californian winter where people have nothing better to do than get off the wheel and develop a group choreography in the middle of the highway. After that the focus moves at last on the main characters, she - an aspiring actress in Hollywood with no success, he - an aspiring jazz pianist in Hollywood with no success. A couple (with no success) gets formed quickly and up to the middle of the movie the story advances in a painfully jolly, optimistic and ... well, musical way (I'm a grumpy grizzly, but even so, trust me... there are limits...). From halfway onward we have a gradual change towards the cruel reality, which I don't know how harsh and/or credible might be, but anyway it gains a lot from the contrast with the first part, so much that I thought I'm watching a different movie. Which ended in an emotional climax with an "what if?..." scene featuring an alternative reality flash that has all it needs to hit you hard if you have some unsolved question marks for turning points in your life. This and the camera work, which I have to admit it's really good, save this movie. Even so, I hate musicals (maybe less now, but still...)

Rating: 3 out of 5 (totally subjective)