This is crazy. This is stupid. This is love.
2011-07-29
$50.0M
118 min
Cal Weaver is living the American dream. He has a good job, a beautiful house, great children and a beautiful wife, named Emily. Cal's seemingly perfect life unravels, however, when he learns that Emily has been unfaithful and wants a divorce. Over 40 and suddenly single, Cal is adrift in the fickle world of dating. Enter, Jacob Palmer, a self-styled player who takes Cal under his wing and teaches him how to be a hit with the ladies.
Really good comedy, following the typical situations but with fresh unexpected turns.
Crazy, Stupid, Love creates contradictory feelings with inconsistent values and judgments, spending too much time glorifying activity that it later condemns.
Crazy, Stupid, Love had me conflicted. So here are my likes and dislikes since its hard to untangle my feelings for a cohesive review:
Pros:
- The relationship between Steve Carrell and Ryan Gosling's characters is a unique take on friendship not generally seen in movies, with the characters challenging each other to move beyond their current circumstances and grow.
- There were some surprising plot twists I didn't see coming that kept a longer rom-com more engaging and interesting than expected.
- Cal's love and yearning for his family, no matter the hurt and heartbreak they caused, was truly endearing.
- Steve Carrell is always a pro, a true gem of a human being.
Cons: I should have expected it, but the movie's trivialization of sexual relationships was frustrating. Women were treated poorly and disrespected. It is hard to "root" for characters that are that self-centered and arrogant.
- I was annoyed with the inconsistency of how the film treated characters' failures and indiscretions. Julianne Moore's character was very unlikable because her character stood on the moral high ground over Steve Carrell's despite cheating on him.
- The movie is classified as a rom-com, and while it has some funny moments, it's hard to consider it entirely comedic. It grapples with serious subject matter that keeps it from being as lighthearted as the word "comedy" would imply.
Crazy, Stupid, Love has a higher rating from me because of the fun friendship between Carrell and Gosling, the ultimate focus on commitment at the end, and Steve Carrell just being in the movie. It has a different feel than many other films in the genre, which is appreciated. Ultimately, Crazy Stupid Love boasts some great elements and a charming resolution, but the road to get there has some speed bumps.
