I normally save my closing statement until the end of my review but in the case of Crazy Stupid Love, I am including it right here, right now – Go see the film, especially if you happen to be the over 40 crowd (I am just saying, outside of that, the story may be looked upon as boring and not 3D enough).
Well here is a bit of background: The film is about a couple, who after being married with “their childhood sweetheart” for 25 years, the wife, Emily (Julianne Moore) decides she wants a divorce because she is sleeping with a co-worker (Kevin Bacon) and possibly experiencing a midlife crisis.
Refreshing plot wouldn’t you say? Because normally it’s the husband who cheats and leaves. So for that I give the film 10pts (out of 20).
While the husband, Cal (Steve Carell) copes with the news, he meets a debonair young man, named Jacob (Ryan Gosling) at a local bar, who helps him become “un”boring and so desirable that even his wife would regret the fact she left him in the first place. While transitioning into the man every woman dreams about, Cal meets a teacher along the way, named Kate (Marisa Tomei) who after spending a perfectly normal night with, he thinks he is ready to move on, until of course…. (I am not going to tell you)
So, as you can see from the synopsis, a good script is a must to make this story worth our while. And sure enough, the filmmakers delivered. Keep in mind, I am still talking to the over 40 crowd. 5 more points
Third, I think this is by far Steve Carell’s best performance, Julianne Moore’s most quality work, and Ryan Gosling’s normally and familiar “unusual character” added just the right touch to keep the story fresh. The added bonus was the supporting role performances by Liza Lapira (Liz), Jonah Bobo (Robbie), Analeigh Tipton (Jessica), Josh Grobin (Richard) and Marisa Tomei (Kate). 5 more points for that, totaling a perfect score of 20 out of 20.
Overall I can’t complain because when a filmmaker has his “****” together, he is capable of producing quality film with just the right lines, great film techniques and the best actor ensemble to bring it all to life. Thank you directors, Glenn Ficcara and John Requa and thank you Dan Fogelman for your creative writing skills. Ok I am done.
B-lot buzz 