Film: La La Land

So this is not my first, or indeed sixth choice of film and I would never have seen it on my own.I’m OK with musicals, really I am, but I prefer the world of musicals as it was back in the Hollywood hey day or maybe, just maybe, at the theatre. It has to be really good though.This isn’t.For the first 20-30 minute, I found myself sinking into my seat with thoughts of having the same feeling for Mama Mia (which I adored on Broadway). That got better after the first half hour, as did this, but not to the point I’d ever sit through either again.To open with a big musical number with a cast of hundreds was a gamble, which paid off as the vast majority of audiences love it. When it carried on with another number soon after (or so it seemed) I had to close my eyes to get through it.Without taking anything away from the production – it’s slick, colourful and full of hope – the core ingredients of a musical along with the all-important love story.But in 2017, I would like some realism. How does the actress work in a coffee shop (when she’s not off auditioning – she seems to get a lot) and afford a swanky flat share, even if with three other waitress/model/actors?How does the serious jazz musician who occasionally scrapes a living playing covers in dining clubs manage to live in his own in a reasonably sized flat in Los Angeles that houses his piano?Why is it so hard for them to make it work? What does she see in him?I was rooting for neither leading character. I really couldn’t care less whether they got together or not. Just stop bloody singing!Annoyingly, I’m still singing the bloody song. It’s Frozen all over again, although I liked that. You'll probably love this.3/10