I went to the movies to see Crazy, Stupid, Love with only two expectations: that I would drink a large cherry slushy and get to see Ryan Gosling be unbelievably hot. Thankfully, both of these expectations were met, and then some.
When it comes to romantic comedies, I’ve learned to keep my expectations low. Sure a few chuckles here and there a shirtless scene make these movies worth the $10, but it’s rare that a movie really captures what it means to be in love. Well, this movie didn’t really do that either, but a mid-film twist totally caught me off guard and kept me glued to the screen and giggling the whole way through.
Cal and Emily Weaver (Steve Carell and Julianne Moore) are a long-time married couple that’s getting divorced after Emily drops the bomb that she slept with a co-worker. A desperate and depressed Cal meets Jacob (Ryan Gosling) at a bar, and Jacob takes it upon himself to help Cal out with his image and confidence level. Makeover hi-jinks ensue! Cal tries sleeping around for a bit, but realizes Emily is the love of his life and tries to win her back. Meanwhile, all of the people in his life are falling in love and learning how to deal with the subsequent emotions it brings.
There were definitely some very funny moments and Carell is just so darn charming, that he fits perfectly into the role of a bumbling dad. Ryan Gosling is as beautiful as ever, and proves that he can fit easily into a comedic character, but I still think he’s better suited for something more dramatic like Blue Valentine. One of the qualms that I had with the movie is that there was not enough Emma Stone. Even when she was on screen, which wasn’t very often, she faded into the background, while Liza Lapira shone so brightly as her hilarious, dirty-minded friend, Liz. Obviously, this movie was not written for Emma to shine in, like Easy A, but her character and her performance were a little disappointing.
Overall, it is definitely one of the better ensemble-cast movies out there (looking at you, Valentine’s Day), and a good way to escape the summer heat to much on some popcorn and see Ryan Gosling’s abs.
Check out the trailer below!