Director: Glenn Ficarra
Time: 1 hour and 57 minutes
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Starring: Steve Carell, Julianne Moore, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Marisa Tomei
I hate romantic comedies. I can't stand all the mushy romantic stuff that filmmakers try to mix with funny, unreal events. It just seems so fake. Men, for the most part, don't do the whole "hold boom-box over my head while I stand outside your window" thing. Nor is real life typically as funny as the lives of people in film. And ladies, if your life is that fun, or your man is that romantic, he's probably worth holding on to.
"Crazy, Stupid, Love" does not fit the mold I described above. This film proves that you can take serious, real life issues and not only build a funny story around it, but also resolve said issues by movie's end. Cal Weaver (Steve Carell) is separated from his wife Emily (Julianne Moore). After a few nights of wallowing away in self-pity at a local bar, the charismatic Jacob (Ryan Gosling) offers him a proposal -- he will change Cal from socially inept dork to irresistible ladies man. As Cal gets to experience a totally new perspective of life, he begins to realize that nothing can replace what he has already lost.
"Crazy, Stupid, Love" does many things surprisingly well. The film has strong pacing, and you are always glued to the screen. Whether the moment is serious, funny, or romantic, you will be focused and attentive. Secondly, the cast is very good. Steve Carell and Ryan Gosling are very strong male leads and Stone and Moore do well as their female counterparts. Marissa Tomei and Kevin Bacon do exceptional as supporting characters.
What the film probably does best though, is seamlessly transition from humor to romance to seriousness. The film is deep and touches upon real issues. Not too serious, but enough for viewers to feel a certain amount of emotional maturity in the characters.
Catch "Crazy, Stupid, Love" this weekend at Tango Theatres. It is surprisingly brilliant.
4 out of 5 stars.
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