Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011)
When Cal Weaver (Steve Carell) discovers that his wife (Julianne Moore) wants to end their marriage, he reluctantly faces the unwelcome prospect of single life with the counsel of the younger and smoother super-bachelor Jacob Palmer (Ryan Gosling). Meanwhile, Cal's adolescent son, Robbie (Jonah Bobo), has formed an unquenchable crush on his 17-year-old babysitter (Analeigh Tipton) -- but is she more interested in Robbie's recently unwed father?
There is a line of dialogue in the film that reads, “Go Big or Go Home!” Well Crazy Stupid Love is as big as they come in the romance genre. You may walk in thinking it may be ordinary, but it will be impossible to walk out and not say you didn’t love the film. It is the best romantic dramedy I have ever had the pleasure of seeing and other films will have a very hard time of topping it in the years to come. I walked in with the highest of expectations and not surprisingly the film still managed to blow me away with everything it threw at me.
The typical story that comes along with these types of films are sort of threw out the window. It consistently twists your emotions to the point your laughing one moment and the next your feeling sorrow for these characters. The film takes its time to develop nearly every character and make you feel attached to them to the point you want them to be happy; you want the best in the world for them. The miniature twists the film takes is where it excels. When you think things, generally you’re wrong and the film turns on you. It’s this fantastic style of writing that turns repetition into this fresh product you think you have never seen before even though you’ve seen it countless times. This is the type of film where the risks paid off and everything came together so smoothly, you don’t even care that the ending was probably what you thought it was going to be. It never feels rushed and its climax had my jaw on the floor from both shock and laughter. It was one of those rare moments that will be imprinted in your head and when briefly mentioned, you’d immediately know what film is being discussed. Every film in this genre should take notes and strive to reach the ambitious heights Crazy Stupid Love achieved.
It all is mute though if the characters aren’t portrayed well, even the greatest written character can become corrupted with a wrong take on them from the actor, but every role was nailed to a tee. Steve Carell who started off poorly in thee leading man role fits in comfortable in his best film to date. He plays the average looking slow talking fatherly figure well and thrives with his character. It’s one of the rare times he doesn’t come off as fake trying to force a laugh out of you, instead playing it subtle and as real as possible. Simply fantastic here. Ryan Gosling on the other hand takes a dramatic shift in roles as he takes on his first comedic role. As the ladies’ man he sizzles up the screen and gets more than his share of laugh, but still manages to be at his best when his character takes a more serious turn in the film. It’s great to see Gosling in such a different manner and actually seeing his character have fun in the film for once. With this being first of three highly anticipated films for 2011, he’s off to a tremendous start already; this is his year. As for the rest of the cast Julianne Moore plays a woman you should hate but simply is too likeable to do that, she continues to be her expectable self. Emma Stone feels a bit lost in the midst of things but when they ask for her to step into the spotlight; you understand this girl will be a leading lady in Hollywood for many years to come. She’s simply terrific for her age. The film even manages to actually have substantial child role that now only gets a good amount of laughs out of you, but never gets annoying. It may seem small but the kid seems to prevent holes in spots that matter. Simply put, this is an ensemble cast that feels just absolutely perfect.
Crazy Stupid Love is about as close to perfect as you’ll ever get in the romantic comedy genre. You’ll want to rewatch it when its over and continue to watch it every few weeks. If you had any doubts that the film looked like a chick flick, I can tell you with a guarantee, it will be one of those films everyone mentions years from now when highlighting the best films of 2011. Do yourself a favor and make sure you do not miss out on this film; it’d be a huge mistake on your part. That goes double for all the Gosling fans out there.
Overall Score: 10/10
