Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone

I don’t even know how many times I’ve started watching this movie, and I’ve always lasted barely halfway. But since I haven’t seen only this one, from 3 in total mutual Gosling/Stone titles, I’ve tied myself to chair and watched the whole movie this time.

What was turning me away every time was just that very beginning, the opening scene of dancing and singing on the highway. Totally unpromising. This time I skipped that.

Then came the completely uninteresting first half of the film, during which the story (and the song) follows two artistic souls – Sebastian and Mia, jazz musician and actress, in an attempt to realize their dreams and careers.

In the first half of the film, they are unsuccessful in this, and watching the situations they go through individually was (in one word) laborious. I sincerely refrained myself from giving up again.

Luckily, the second half started with a more concrete action in which Mia and Seb are in a relationship, so it was more interesting to follow their efforts to maintain that relationship alongside Sebastian’s rising career.

Let’s ignore the fact that I don’t watch nor like a musical as a genre. That segment isn’t too intrusive – singing and dancing scenes are not too common in this case. While I don’t have much praise for relatively uninteresting music numbers, I would like to single out the particularly wonderful and very emotional theme ‘Mia &Seb’ which also received the award.

I’m a big fan of both Gosling and Emma Stone, whether we’re talking about them as personalities, as an actor couple or their movies… But in this case, one question is simply roaring – what was the reason for winning six Oscars and 236 other awards???

Even better question : the first and only Oscar for E.Stone? From so many of her great movies? True, we did not see her in too many leading roles, but some of her supporting roles were much superior (to me) and to greater praise than this.

So, it wasn’t the genre that left me indifferent as such, but the level of acting in certain scenes (more often noticeable in Emma’s, and little less in Gosling’s acting), whereby I had the impression that it was forcibly acted upon. Certainly something that shouldn’t have been seen in such awarded title.

And finally, as positive in general I can single out beautiful costumes and suits, a great jazz musical background, and the charm which ‘radiates’ from Emma and R.Gosling in mutual scenes.