Love can be crazy, love can be stupid. True love is something worth fighting for, worth changing for, worth living for. That is the central theme of Crazy, Stupid, Love, a fun and fresh multi-layered romantic comedy. Love is in the air, but the main focus is not necessarily the romances of the film but the two lead characters, Cal (Steve Carell) and Jacob (Ryan Gosling), who work together as classically mismatched buddies. Cal is stunned when his wife Emily (Julianne Moore) wants a divorce after 25 years of marriage. Distraught, he goes to a bar to lay out his troubles to those who will listen and catches the attention of ladies man Jacob who wants to help him. Jacob, meticulously groomed and impossibly attractive, takes Cal on as a pet project teaching him the art of picking up women. It goes without saying that during this process Jacob goes through a transformation of his own when he finds The One in Hannah (Emma Stone). The two men's lives diverge in opposite directions but, as expected, both come to the same conclusion, love.
The film is highlighted by its funny and clever screenplay. It understands that it is formulaic and has a little fun with it. At a critical down point, rain appears out of nowhere. Before I even got the chance to think it, Steve Carell sighs, "What a cliche." The screenplay is also surprisingly moving. Aside from a hilarious scene towards the middle-end, my favorite moment was actually a tender one, a simple phone conversation between Cal and Emily.
Another strength of Crazy, Stupid, Love is in the casting. Steve Carell has the lovable loser down pat. Ryan Gosling is handsome and charming. Emma Stone has a bright future ahead of her, though I did find her pairing with Gosling a little off. (She just looks so much younger than him.) Even though Julianna Moore dumps Carell, she's not really a bad guy. Neither is home wrecker Kevin Bacon. Marisa Tomei has a funny role as one of Cal's flings and brings a lovable energy to the film. Even kids have a chance to shine as Jonah Bobo plays Cal's son Robbie who is in love with her baby sitter Jessica (Analeigh Tipton). Oh by the way, she is in love with Cal. Confused yet? Don't worry, all the loose ends come together in the end in sweet and humorous fashion with our faith in true love in tact.
Grade: B+
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