Crazy, Stupid, Love

Crazy, But Not Stupid Romance

Director: Glenn Ficarra, John Requa
Writers: Dan Fogelman

Cast: Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore, Marisa Tomei, Emma Stone, Kevin Bacon, Jonah Bobo, Analeigh Tipton, Beth Littleford, John Carroll Lynch, Josh Groban, Liza Lapira

SYNOPSIS: Cal runs into marital issues when his wife Emily asks for a divorce. Unprepared for the single scene, Cal enlists the help of professional pick-up artist Jacob to help navigate its choppy waters.

REVIEW: I Love You Phillip Morris directors Glenn Ficarra and John Requa re-team with a story from popular animated adventure scribe Dan Fogelman (Cars, Tangled, Bolt, Cars 2) to bring you a more adult romantic dramedy with Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore, Marisa Tomei, Kevin Bacon and Emma Stone on board.

Fresh off of his departure from NBCs The Office, Steve Carell returns to the big screen to add to his growing body of work that includes hits like Date Night and Despicable Me and misses like Dinner for Schmucks and Evan Almighty. He stars as Cal, a man with the perfect married life. That is, until wife Emily (Julianne Moore) asks for a divorce. Thinking that their lives have become too predictable and have lost that spark that had gotten them through their marriage so far, Emily admits to having an affair with fellow co-worker David Lindhagen (Kevin Bacon). Cal moves out without a fight, leaving Emily and his kids Robbie (Jonah Bobo) and Molly (Joey King), and leaving Cal to sulk, drink and watch professional pick-up artist Jacob (Ryan Gosling) work his skills around the club.

Heartfelt and funny, Crazy, Stupid, Love brings us all too real intertwined romantic connections with a twist of humor. We have Cal who has lost his one true love to another man, Jacob who sees love as a pathetic waste of emotion, opting instead to pick up woman for one-night stands, Emily who cheated on her husband but may be having second thoughts about her decisions to end her marriage, and co-worker Dave who really wants to continue a relationship with Emily. Throw in a 13-year-old son Robbie in love with the family babysitter Jessica (Analeigh Tipton), and Jacob conquest interest Hannah (Emma Stone) who is looking for a marriage proposal from her boyfriend Richard (Josh Groban), and you have a recipe for laughter and tears.

Crazy, Stupid, Love definitely lives up to its name. Steve Carell brings his sad-sack believer in true love to the screen, reminiscent to his character from Date Night. Julianne Moore weighs down the drama with her performance, centering the film in realistic roots. And although Carell and Moore are the pivot points of the film, Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling really are the show stealers. Both are easy on the eyes, Emma with her red locks and freckles, and Ryan with his perfect stubble and "PhotoShopped" abs. Their performances apart are love-lorn and hopeful. Their shared scenes are silly, funny, real and down to earth. Young son Robbie played by Jonah Bobo is the perfect innocent foil for a love life that is all in front of him. The performance brought to the screen by Analeigh Tipton for babysitter Jessica is fun to watch, every awkward movement a study in teenage romantic angst.

Tender moments abound between Cal and Emily. The scene between them outside Robbie's teachers classroom for Parent/Teacher conferences and a phone call about restarting a boiler pilot light make you smile a little, but breaks your heart a little, too. Jacob's bravado with Cal and his distain for Cal's wardrobe to date is funny, too, but not as funny as the Hannah/Jacob Dirty Dancing moment in his bachelor pad and the moments that immediately follow. And, of course, the topper to the film is the climatic miniature golf scene where Cal, Jacob, Dave and Jessica's father Bernie (John Carroll Lynch) come to violence.

The film starts off strong, lags in the first act for a while until Jacob arrives onscreen for good, then takes off as a strong romantic dramedy for good. Get over that first hump and the rest is a sweet, tender road of romance - and the things we do for it!

WORTH: Matinee and DVD