CRAZY, STUPID, LOVE

    SUMMARY

At forty something, straight-laced Cal Weaver (Steve Carell) is living the dream—good job, nice house, great kids and marriage to his high school sweetheart. But when Cal learns that his wife, Emily (Julianne Moore), has cheated on him and wants a divorce, his “perfect” life quickly unravels. Worse, in today’s single world, Cal, who hasn’t dated in decades, stands out as the epitome of un-smooth. Now spending his free evenings sulking alone at a local bar, the hapless Cal is taken on as wingman and protégé to handsome, thirty something player Jacob Palmer (Ryan Gosling). In an effort to help Cal get over his wife and start living his life, Jacob opens Cal’s eyes to the many options before him: flirty women, manly drinks and a sense of style that can’t be found at Supercuts or The Gap. Cal and Emily aren’t the only ones looking for love in what might be all the wrong places: Cal’s 13-year-old son, Robbie, is crazy about his 17-year-old babysitter, Jessica, who harbours a crush on Cal. And despite Cal’s makeover and his many new conquests, the one thing that can’t be made over is his heart, which seems to keep leading him back to where he began.’.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DAVE G'S CRAZY, STUPID, LOVE REVIEW:

 Something has been going seriously right over the last few months amongst the comedy filmmakers of Hollywood. Films such as Horrible Bosses and The Change-Up have been surprisingly good and now along comes the cream-of-the-crop – Crazy, Stupid, Love a smart comedy with a twist that leaves you seriously impressed.

The film begins with Cal (Steve Carell – Dinner For Schmucks, Despicable Me) and Emily’s (Julianne Moore – TV’S 30 Rock & As The World Turns) marriage is in tatters, she wants a divorce because life has become boring. She reveals she is having an affair with co-worker, David (Kevin Bacon – X-Men: First Class, Elephant White) which sends Cal out to a nearby club where he meets the womanizing, Jacob (Ryan Gosling – The Ides Of March, Drive). But as Cal learns to become popular with women Jacob falls for Hannah (Emma Stone – The Help, Friends With Benefits), while Cal’s son, Robbie (Jonah Bobo – TV’S 30 Rock & Royal Pains) falls for his babysitter, Jessica (Analeigh Tipton – Damsels In Distress, The Green Hornet) who only has eyes for Cal.

Screenwriter, Dan Fogelman (Cars 2, Tangled) proves that when it comes to adult-comedies he knows what he is doing. He doesn’t the crass humour that litters most Hollywood comedies these days to create laughs. He can achieve the same with witty one-liners and can write a comedy script that contains three dimensional characters that the audience will fall for. It was looking shooting fish in a barrel to get the audience to warm to the lovable-loser Cal in Crazy, Stupid, Love but it took real effort to get the same reaction to the womanizer, Jacob. Yet, halfway through this film you realize that you want to see Jacob get the same happy-ending that you hope that Cal will get as well. Fogelman also needs to be congratulated for a twist towards the end of the film that is smartly set-up but never really becomes apparent until Fogelman wants it to. To be blunt he has written a comedy script that is damn near perfect.

The cast of Crazy, Stupid, Love is also impressive. I have always felt that Carell has been hit or miss with his film roles over the years but I absolutely loved him here. He is believable and likeable and truly makes the film an enjoyable experience for the whole audience. Gosling also impresses in a comedy role while the younger cast members, Tipton and Bobo certainly can hold their heads high amongst an all-star cast. Once again the practice of casting quality performers in smaller roles pays off with Kevin Bacon and Emma Stone also standouts.

Normally the honour goes to a French Film, but Crazy, Stupid, Love needs to be considered when you are trying to work out what deserves to be the funniest film of 2011. The twist at the end makes it sensational.

RATING:- ****  (out of 5)

HOME     BACK TO ALL FILMS     BACK TO 'COMEDY' FILMS

BACK TO 'DRAMA' FILMS