Crazy, Stupid, Love

The movie opens with the heartbreak that drives the rest of the movie. Cal played by Steve Carell learns in the middle of a packed restaurant that his marriage is about to end and his wife Emily, played by Julianne Moore, cheated on him with a co-worker. This is not the start to the romantic comedy that we are used to, and from here it could go anywhere. They decide to keep the movie in the comedic wheel house but not without a few dramatic moments.

There is a lot jammed into Crazy, Stupid, Love but it never feels like you are missing out on anything. Dan Fogelman wrote his love story with three different generations all experiencing more or less the same thing. The first half of the movie seems to be full of punchy dialogue but as the movie progresses we lose the tart retorts and gain a sincerity and hope to the film. The emotions the characters feel seem much more genuine and their action more natural to what is going on around them even if the situations that started it all seem less likely.

While maybe not all totally believable the movie has a lot of heart and that has to count for something. The movie’s leading men hook up in a totally unrealistic fashion. There is no way some hot guy in a bar full of far too many attractive women takes a sad, pathetic 40-something man under his wings and guides him. But to be fair there is no chance a divorce ends that quickly or amicably without lawyers so it is best to just go with it. The dynamic between the male leads are great and lead to a lot of funny moments. It is not just the zingers that the actors deliver that receive audible reaction from the audience. This movie is also full of uncomfortable moments directly out of Carell’s “Office” playbook which makes sense as he also lends his hand as a producer on the film. I don’t know if I can remember a movie since Superbad that I was forced to look away from the screen by just how uncomfortable some of the funnier scenes in the movie got. The delivery is fantastic all around and there is little doubt to why that is.

The cast is full of incredibly talented people who continually get better with each role. Ryan Gosling is everything that is right with movies right now. His most recent roles have been amazing from the heart-breakingly beautiful in Blue Valentine, to the drug addled coach in Half Nelson, to the eternally romantic Noah in The Notebook. He picks amazing parts and knocks each of them out of the park. It was great to see him branch out into a comedic role and show just how far his talent can reach. Gosling is bound by nothing and it is going to be great to watch this leading man continue to grow. Carell returns to the big screen as the everyman romantic who once again spends the movie blurring the lines between being a total doofus and a complete charmer. His best scenes though are when he and Gosling work together in a Miyagi-esque relationship.

Their female co-stars don’t get quite the same detail written into their characters. After the initial outburst we learn very little about Moore’s Emily. There is a lot in the script about how Carell’s character deals with the break up, but most of Emily’s story comes from a response to the actions of her husband. Her best scenes feature her and Carell expressing the regret of their current situation. Emma Stone meanwhile plays Hannah the aspiring lawyer, and much like Gosling her character is far more interesting than the female lead. Her charisma flies off the screen especially the moments she shares with Gosling. She pops with her co-star and flaunts her perfect comedic timing. Of the four main actors, she probably gets the least amount of screen time. It is a shame we don’t see this romance till later in the story but these two young actors make every scene work.

Not only is this a talented leading group but the ensemble behind them are great as well. The third story line involves the older couple’s son who, typical of Hollywood, seems to be more knowledgeable than the adults who surround him. Also wonderful in the movie is Marissa Tomei who dials up the crazy a little bit and generates quite a few laughs herself. In fact the whole cast is able to get the audience going and it is a credit to the script that it was able to attract so many talented people.

The cast should attract a lot of people to this movie. Where it will win them over though is the amount of heart that shows on the screen. B-