Does modern chess even make sense any more ?!

Some older players have lamented to me that it is very difficult to learn anything from modern games at the highest level. Instead of players playing with a particular style, or specialising in specific positions, they simply try and calculate as deeply as possible to achieve a winning position. While this may be the road the chess now travels down, it is difficult for us lesser light to emulate.
Case in point, Vachier-Lagrave v Ding from round 2 of the 2013 Alekhine Memorial.


Vachier-Lagrave,Maxime (2722) - Ding,Liren (2707)
2013 Alekhine Memorial Paris, 22.04.2013

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 Bf5 4. h4 h6 5. g4 Be4 6. f3 Bh7 7. e6 Nf6 8. Bf4 Qb6 9. Nc3 Qxb2 10. Kd2 Qb6 11. Nge2 a6 12. Rb1 Qa7 13. Na4 b5 14. Nc5 Bg8 15. Be5 fxe6 16. Nf4 Nbd7 17. Nxd7 Nxd7 18. Ng6 Nxe5 19. dxe5 Rh7 20. h5 c5 21. f4 Bf7 22. Qf3 O-O-O 23. Be2 c4 24. a4 Kc7 25. axb5 axb5 26. Rxb5 Qd4+ 27. Ke1 Ra8 28. Rb1 Ra2 29. c3 Qd2+ 30. Kf2 Rc2 31. Qe3 Qxe3+ 32. Kxe3 Rxc3+ 33. Kd4 Rc2 34. Rhe1 Kc6 35. Rb8 Bxg6 36. hxg6 Rh8 37. Reb1 Rd2+ 38. Ke3 Ra2 39. R8b6+ 1-0