So smart. Yes, totally, it is a polemic against this ‘one true love’ fallacy.

There was a guy that did the math on individuals finding similar individuals (religion, IQ, education, experience) which we all look for in a mate. Man, what was that guy’s name? I’d look him up but my computer is in mid-freefall and highly doubt it could handle one more tab being opened. Anyway, the larger point there was that there are decidedly FEW people that fall into our desired category of ‘mate material’. It’s a wonder that anyone gets hooked up at all. Think several thousand in New York City area type of numbers. Ah, found him on my phone, think his name is Peter Backus. And while I don’t subscribe to his specific thesis, his general tenet is interesting. There are decidedly few people in the world that I am compatible with. Now granted, love doesn’t work like that… but you get the larger point. Love is tricky. And very very unlike what the movies would have you believe.

I personally will have to take your word for it when it comes to how beautiful past relationships can be… cough. haha. But I get your point. The sum of our experiences make up the sum of who we have become. And to have such a idyllic looking film, with dance sequences on LA freeways espouse such a non-idyllic viewpoint?? Mind blowing really. And actually almost too much for our brains to handle. Which, I think, is why most people dislike the ending fairly rabidly. But is why I adore the ending. Such a great right hook that is straight out of reality. But, that’s just my own two cents.

I totally agree with the whole ‘is this movie telling us to follow our dreams at all costs??’ thing. What I took from it was that life is a compromise – we all have our individual paths that we walk down, and some things will work out while others won’t. I felt like it showed what a fallacy ‘one true love’ and the romanticism that our culture worships is, and that the (often multiple) people you fall in love with in life are actually a huge part of shaping your character and future (Sebastian encouraging Mia to follow her dreams). Movies tend to focus on ‘the one’, where no other romantic partner matters – here I feel it showed what a beautiful gift past relationships can be, and how it’s important to let go sometimes while still appreciating what was.

Fair enough MMZ…
I buy it. (Never mind the fact that Gosling watched her walked out the door… BUT OK! HAHHA) Seriously though, well thought through. And you are right, we are the sum of all our experiences that have brought us from there <--------- to here ---------> so, yes, I agree.

Taylor

Great response Lisa…
(And perfect English too! Well done!) I totally understand what you are saying. You were hoping for more clarity on their relationship and more of a single direction for them. I take it that you didn’t see the movie making sense.

Which is interesting, because the movie just kicked ass at the Golden Globes awards and will probably sweep at the Oscars as well. Just a guess on my part. So we have to ask ourselves… if the critics dug it, what were they digging? (Sorry, using a LOT of hard to understand colloquialisms!) Anyway, I personally liked the disjointed elements of the happiness of the dancing and singing juxtaposed with the unhappy ending. Personally it really messed with the audience a ton and makes us think. Huhh. Wait. Is career more important than family? Is family more important than career? Are our dreams the most important thing? Just made me think. Which is what I want from a good movie.

Thanks a ton for the thoughts!!
Taylor

Wondering what the hell this movie was about after I saw it in the theatre, I started googling and I read your article. Although I agree with you on the fact that the end of this movie was more of a reality check and a new turn on a happy ending, although, I absolutely hated it.
My favourite movie of all time is ‘500 Days Of Summer’, a movie that also doesn’t end the way you want it to. But I feel like that gave the movie more strength, and it made me quite emotional because I recognized the heartbroken feeling that Tom (main character) had. In this movie I wasn’t feeling the love and passion of Mia and Seb at all. I missed the cute and silly parts in the movie, and I felt like there were pieces of the movie that the directors had cut out. I, for example, was expecting that there was going to be a plot twist with Mia’s aunt, or that we saw her and got to know her. I also felt like it was weird that Mia was going to her parents, we didn’t see much of them and I felt like that was a bummer. At some point I even thought they were going to write a musical together, named ‘Chicago the musical’ (All That Jazz… get it?) but that ,sadly, didn’t happen.

Anyway, I thought this was going to be my next favourite movie, but I think I missed the point. Thank you for explaining some parts though! By the way, I’m not trying to convince anyone by this comment, I just wanted to let you know my opinion about the movie because I really recognized the ‘what WAS that?’ that you wrote in your article.

Greetings from Holland (sorry if my English is not correct sometimes)

Lisa