With very little competition on the genre, "La La Land" already seems the quintessential 21st century musical. There is very little to argue over its plastic technicality, or its heartfelt, nostalgic invocations of past works (from Minnelli, Wise or Demy, or maybe even more directly, Scorsese's "New York, New York" and Coppola's "One from the Heart" - and even Ray's "Rebel Without a Cause") with an unmistakably catchy, inspired score, blended in a scud attack of sound, music, color and movement, which creates one of the most swirling, easy-going and downright fun films I've ever watched.

But out of the whole fever around the happening, and playing devil's advocate (as everybody seems to point nothing not even slightly not perfect out of it; and I really liked the film, as you've probably guessed by my rating, so it's not hollow scorn) even considering it's a feel-good, easy going musical, maybe we should all ask the pertinence of film. What is the importance of a film when it comes out? Not reducing the musical genre to it, but musicals were historically linked with periods of discredit, and often served as escapist show-offs.

My only issue with "La La Land" is the film's deliberate choice of not presenting musical moments in the negative parts. All that is happiness, dream and positive moments are permeated with inventive musical moments, while the negative ones are left silent and with simple, to-the-core scenes. Then, I feel it unlevelled the film, in a rather contrived way, to a more 'sunshine' feel (even though maybe story isn't exactly what we were expecting), and therefore discarding a great dramatic potential to heighten the film's conflict. So, thinking about this in a more detached way, maybe I felt kind of 'manipulated' into its positive vibe - and my emotion loved it, but my cerebral side found it a little suspicious.

There is no problem whatsoever to consider "La La Land" as (up until now) 21st century's most cheerful, escapist, lenitive showdown - even though, in the end, that would be unfair to its sheer cinematic power.