Crazy beautiful love12/28/2022 Carell tones down his usual antics and exposes not only vulnerability, but a streak of bitterness, which suits him well. The script dishes out surprises aplenty - including one that doesn’t entirely come across as honest but remains effective nevertheless - as the film moves to a hilarious showdown that recalls screwball comedies of yore.īecause this is an ensemble effort, it’s almost unfair to highlight any one person in the cast. To further complicate matters of the heart, playboy Jacob is initially spurned by intriguing lawyer-to-be Hannah (Emma Stone), who doesn’t fall for his smarmy but effective pickup lines and fancy threads.Īs these characters’ lives become further entangled, themes about love unrequited and love in need of major repairs play out in ways both amusing and poignant. Meanwhile, Cal and Emily’s 13-year-old son, Robbie (Jonah Bobo), determinedly pursues baby-sitter Jessica (Analeigh Tipton), who has developed a secret crush on Cal. Jacob takes Cal under his wing and does a My Fair Buddy shtick on him, transforming him into a bit of a player. Then the camera lands on the worn-out sneakers of Cal and Emily’s faraway feet.Īfter Emily’s revelation, Cal rents a nondescript apartment and starts to hang out at a posh bar where he meets his polar opposite - playboy Jacob Palmer (Ryan Gosling), a chiseled Adonis who looks as if he stepped off the latest GQ cover. As the camera courses through a restaurant we see the sometimes playful below-the-table foot rubs between other well-soled patrons. “Crazy, Stupid, Love” clicks where others fail, thanks to a confluence of factors: the risky screenplay by screenwriter Dan Fogelman (Pixar’s “Cars”), the shrewd mix of edgy and conventional direction from Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, and a dream cast that includes Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore and Emma Stone.Ĭarell plays Cal, an average, middle-age guy who falls through a trap door when his wife, Emily (Moore), announces she not only wants a divorce but also has had an affair with a co-worker (Kevin Bacon).Įven though we don’t witness what Emily and Cal were like before the breakup, we get an inkling that their passion has all but died in an opening shot. They are flawed, funny and hurting as they blunder through dealings with love, life and family. In “Crazy, Stupid, Love,” no one’s that kind of an overstraining people-pleaser. Most romantic comedy characters - especially the women - are preposterously cute, kooky and so jacked up on NutraSweet they’re not even remotely genuine. It obligingly tips its hat to genre conventions, but strives to do something distinctive by giving us something more than pretty people saddled with rote, easily solvable romantic contrivances. Unlike many recent flubs, from the gutless “Larry Crowne” to the overstuffed “Valentine’s Day,” this sly confection from the directing team of “I Love You Phillip Morris” is unique and bursting with messy life. Just when we’re about ready to write off the ensemble romantic comedy for good, along comes “Crazy, Stupid, Love” to sweep us off our feet with the irresistible charm of a Mr. Review: ‘Crazy, Stupid, Love’ is funny, smart, fantastic – The Mercury News Close Menu
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