Review: Crazy, Stupid, Love. (2011)

Directors: Glenn Ficarra, John Requa

Cast: Steve Carell (The Office, The 40 Year Old Virgin), Ryan Gosling (Drive, The Notebook), Julianne Moore (Boogie Nights, Magnolia), Emma Stone (Easy A, Zombieland), Marissa Tomei (The Wrestler), Kevin Bacon (Footloose, Apollo 13), Analeigh Tipton, Jonah Bobo

The Deal: When his wife (Moore) asks for a divorce after more than 20 years together, Cal (Carell) seeks to rediscover his manhood with his new-found friend Jacob (Gosling), a womanizer who's an expert at picking up girls at bars.

Thoughts: The old saying "never judge a book by its cover" couldn't be more correct, as at first glance this film screamed chick-flick to me, or at least that's what all the TV spots and trailers seemed to want me to think. What we actually have is a comical yet serious look at the struggles of love from the viewpoints of many age ranges, and to be honest, it's a pretty realistic assessment. Movies rarely have sad endings, if more of them did nobody would want to watch them, but the route taken to the happy ending is mostly believable here, avoiding the extravagant over-the-top methods too many films use, and focusing on things most normal people would try. When it does try to get a little over-the-top, the plan fails. This is what makes the story so strong and relatable to an audience.

As we all know, a strong story is nothing without a strong cast, and the ensemble we have here all play their parts well. Carell frequently plays a middle-aged "everyman", but it's because he does it well and believably. The humor he brings isn't forced, but rather an outcome of actions a lost and heart-broken man could stumble upon, such as misjudging the type of woman he is bringing home or just being completely behind with the times. Gosling's character is scarred from a heartbreak, and the walls and methods he lives behind make perfect sense. Both characters are totally lost and confused about who they really are, but had they never met, neither could have ever rediscovered themselves.

I really enjoyed the "love triangle" between Cal, Jessica (Tipton), and Robbie (Bobo). The age gaps between the characters made for a few funny moments. Without ruining anything, Robbie is Cal's son, and Jessica is Robbie's babysitter. Robbie's in love with Jessica, and Jessica is in love with Cal. Cal is the guy in the triangle who doesn't know he's there, and wouldn't want to be there if he knew. I couldn't help but laugh every time Jessica told Robbie she's too old for him, that he's just not mature like she is, all the while she's striving for a man 30 years older than herself. The cluelessness from this triangle is quite funny, and pretty spot on with how real people act. I often use words like "real", "realistic", or "believable". For many films, those words have no place to be used, but when we're talking about romance, especially one that wants to be somewhat serious, if I can't see real people in the real world acting that way, then I view it as a failure.

Verdict: Crazy, Stupid, Love sports a strong cast, and is an entertaining look at the struggles of love at different stages in life. The fact that you can believe the character's actions makes this a film the viewer can connect with, and therefore one worth watching. ☆☆☆☆