CRAZY, STUPID, LOVE (REVIEW)
Rated
M - 118 mins
Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore, Emma Stone, Lauren
Stone, Kevin Bacon, Marisa Tomei
Thankfully, there is a whole
lot more to this film than the spray-tanned six-pack of Ryan Gosling seen repeatedly
in the trailers.
This is not just another chick-flick off the
Hollywood production line. Cal Weaver (Steve Carell) has been married for 25 years,
but suddenly after a revelation from his beloved Emily (Julianne Moore) over dinner
one evening, the union goes into freefall. Emily casually admits to an affair
at her workplace with the smooth as silk accountant (Kevin Bacon) and instantly
demands a divorce, on her terms. Sadness hits him like a hammer as poor Cal didn't
see this coming, he thought the marriage was full of heart and charisma, not that
his wife was a dominant cheating liar. This brings him to find possible solace
while teetering on the brink of excruciating confusion in a downtown wine bar.
Enter
Jacob, (Ryan Gosling) a pants man of the highest order. An impressionable pick
up artist that if every female within vicinity isn't looking at him when he walks
through a room, they will be by the end of the night. Noticing something wrong,
he spots Cal on repeated visits to the establishment and offers him some advice,
after a cocktail of course. Jacob is like a walking men's fashion magazine, he
has the words, look and outright style of a champion, backing up his sweet talking
with lothario moves of a snake charmer. Transforming the Velcro wallet owning
Cal from loser to a player takes some work, but works a treat in getting him noticed
by potential lady friends, while changing his life in the process.
As
for the film, this is only the tip of the iceberg with various romantically edged
plotlines threaded through the screenplay by Dan Fogelman. Emma Stone (The Help,
House Bunny) is yet again brilliant even if her role of Hannah, who may be just
be Jacob's female equivalent, is criminally underused. You will not forget Marisa
Tomei either who almost steals the show as a demented, but in a good way, conquest
of Cal while on the rebound.
Further evidence that young Crystal
Reed is a superstar in the making, so good in the average 'Skyline' and now seen
on the television series 'Teen Wolf', she is magical as Amy. A measure of freshness
across her every scene. Julianne Moore (Boogie Nights, Big Lebowski) knows how
to produce tears on cue, but when she says alarmingly amusing anecdotes, like
admitting to hating 'Twilight' while howling, is hilarious.
The
trio of men, Carell, at the top of his game; Gosling, a natural ladies choice
since 'The Notebook'; and Bacon, always good and being a smile ball; show strong
acting in their variety of mannerisms. What could have been another rom-com clichéd
soap opera is actually a labyrinth of deception, love, angst and a diverting story
where everyone may not be happy all the time, but full of witty touches of humour.
Must see for the guys too, a perfect date movie.
Shane
A. Bassett
