This Is Exactly What "La La Land" Was Missing, Darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                  See this photo?  It is from "The Bandwagon," and that is Cyd Charisse (my favorite of all movie female dancers) and Fred Astaire, doing what they do best--dance!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                   Had performers of this caliber--well, you have to find them, first, but, believe me, they are out there--had been cast in "La La Land," it might have been a minor masterpiece.  But with Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, it was reduced to a textual exploration of the musical genre, with no real feeling.  Plenty of mood, plenty of atmosphere, but nothing else.  It did not  match the brilliance of "Pennies From Heaven, " which I was hoping for!  Hell, it didn't even match the flawed "New York, New York," which it was going for, too.

                                   Neither of the leads had any spontaneity.  Ryan moves better than Emma, but his flexibility is limited, either due to his lack of dance training, or because of reserved he felt, doing it.  The result was, he looked as though he were holding back.

                                     Emma Stone, on the other hand, seemed uncomfortable each time she time stepped.  One could see her pleading look to the director and choreographer, "Am I getting this right?'
I wonder how many takes on their scenes were required, because of Emma????  And she won the Oscar?????????  Come on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                      Now, Ryan handed out some revealing info, which I found fascinating.  He stated that after completing "La La Land," he promptly forgot all the work he learned for it.  Which tells me not only will he never do a musical again--even a faux one--the form does not fit him, though he can learn to fit it.  I am hardly a trained dancer, darlings, but sixteen years ago, I did "The Pajama Game" with the Village Light Opera Group.  Yes, darlings, I was a chorus cutie!!!!!!!!!!  And, to this day, I can remember every move, every place I had to be on that stage.  If that past cast were all collectively assembled, and told we had to do the show tonight, I could still do it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                      It has to be ingrained in your blood, dears.  Fewer of his peers act better than Ryan Gosling, but, good as he was--and he was VERY good--this was just  not his milieu.

                                       Notice Fred and Cyd are looking downward. Could they be commenting on this 2016 film????????????????