CRAZY STUPID LOVE 3.5***

“Crazy, Stupid, Love”. is not really crazy or stupid, but it does speak eloquently of love and relationships with a honesty sorely lacking in most romantic comedies these days. The film is a refreshingly honest glimpse of love and all its complications with just the right amount of humor and pathos. .I couldn't be more happy with this film! The story is so grounded in reality. And it is a nice break from all the big action films that have been dominating the summer. True, it is a rom-com, but it is one I believe that most guys will enjoy just as much as the gals.

Even the most serious of moments in this film are dashed with a flavor of quirky comedic relief.. the kind that life so graciously grants us so that we don't totally fall apart in a horrible situation. I also liked the fact that this film not only explores the topic of aged love many years after the couple had fallen for one another, but it also looks at that first time a guy really falls for a gal because it is like he is seeing women for the first time. Or the first time a young person develops an big crush for someone much older than they are. Everyone can relate to this film.

Cal (Steve Carell) and Emily (Julianne Moore) have hit a rough patch in their long-time marriage, and Emily totally shocks Cal when she announces to him in a restaurant that she wants a divorce. Down and depressed, Cal starts drinking away his sorrows at a local “hot & happening” singles bar. . Jacob (Ryan Gosling), a professional playboy bachelor, takes notice and makes it his personal mission to help Cal get over his wife, and become a new man.. make that become a real woman’s man.. In the process, It’ll remind you a little of Will Smith in “Hitch” but here Jacob is the ultimate lady’s man/pick-up artist.

Acting wise, the film is excellent. Carell gives one of his best performances to date. As Cal, he effortlessly moves between depression and humiliation, and touching and hilarious. The film stretches his dramatic muscle more than most. The expressions on his face are just devastating in some sequences, and then the wonder on his face in other scenes is ridiculously hilarious. . Gosling plays against type, and gives an absolutely hysterical performance. He shines brightly in every scene, nailing every line and mannerism, while making this scumbag of a lothario become someone we end up really caring about. He exudes chemistry and helps make everyone else's performance better. Julianne Moore and Emma Stone also give great performances, easily balancing the humor with the drama. . But it is Marisa Tomei who steals the show from everyone, playing one of Cal's conquests. She is dementedly unhinged and ridiculously over-the-top, but never falters. Her performance may be one-note, but it is easily the most memorable thing about the film.
It's definitely a film that you don’t want to miss! Truthfully, I fell in love with it! When it comes to romantic comedies, I don't often find one that I really like, but this is just a delightful film!
It is Rated PG-13 for coarse humor, sexual content and language.
Clark