Dear Diary,

**Disclaimer-Spoiler Alert**

Well, I finally saw La La Land…late I know. Without going into an in-depth critique, I’ll just say that if this movie had won for Best Film over Moonlight, I would’ve lost it. I think Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling are incredibly talented, and beautiful actors, but you would have to reach long and far to say that they’re triple threats. It was a fantastical movie with an interesting message…sometimes you have to choose your dreams over the ones you love. Pretty cliche otherwise in its entirety, I appreciated that it wasn’t a typical Hollywood love story. Good job. BUT, I found myself thinking about the old MGM classics when actors really could do it all! There were no body doubles for Gene Kelly And Ginger Rogers during their difficult waltz scenes. They were actually singing and dancing full out, at the same time ! Let’s make movie musicals great again! While Broadway performers occasionally get slack from the concert dance world, there is no faking it on Broadway. That is what makes live performance so incredible. If had been La La Land the Broadway show, Lionsgate producers couldn’t lie and tell you that Ryan Gosling perfected his routine in just 3 months. You could see that Hamburger Helper por de bras from the nosebleeds honey. Don’t get me wrong, I looooove Ryan Gosling. And his soft shoe wasn’t half bad. But he’s no Fred Astaire, that’s for sure! While La La Land was not about two aspiring Broadway performers, Emma wants to be an actress and Ryan a jazz pianist, the film was by all means, a movie musical. It was like a two hour mockery of ‘The Dance at the Gym” scene from West Side Story, sans Puerto Rican’s or flair. Unfortunately, it just didn’t cut it for me. There was really only one song that carried the entire movie, and far too many stiff duets from the leads. I knew immediately that it was not the couple dancing during their intricate routine in the clouds. You can’t cover up the poise and grace of professionals to the trained eye, Hollywood. Sorry.

XoXo,

Mad Swan