Crazy, Stupid, Love. (2011)

A middle-aged husband's life changes dramatically when his wife asks him for a divorce. He seeks to rediscover his manhood with the help of a newfound friend, Jacob, learning to pick up girls at bars.

Jess' Review

Oh no. Another rom-com. Dammit Sam, I’ll make sure I pick an extra spooky flick as payback. Watch this space.

So, the plot. Crazy, Stupid Love sees us watching hopeless and newly-divorced Cal (Steve Carrell), learn how to comeback into his own with the help of Jacob (Ryan Gosling). It’s an emotionally charged backdrop with multiple characters and storylines coming into play - ranging from Cal’s love-struck son, Robbie (Jonah Bobo) pursuing his babysitter, to Jacob’s own side-story of romance. Of course the overarching theme is love in its many, varied forms. However, Crazy, Stupid Love also explores the uglier elements, as well as dedicating some of it’s 2hr 20 runtime to family and finding oneself. It had more depth than I expected and dare I say, it wasn’t half bad.

The performances from the strong, leading ensemble are all brilliant - though regrettably Carrell has been ruined for me, on account Sam and I are currently five seasons deep into The Office. Despite this small personal distraction, he’s hilarious as the awkward divorcee and sees most of the films’ jokes land with excellent timing. Gosling helps this along with his super-cool, ladies man persona, though I find his character to be a bit of a tw-t. Yes there are redeeming qualities to him. And no, one of them isn’t his abs. (Have some class.) But I struggled to sympathise with Jacob as much as the other cast, and so consider his character lacking.

The multi-layered approach worked well and really held my attention. Having heard of this film as one of the classics in the genre evoked a certain feeling of foreboding in me. I was getting ready to hate it - but I hold my hands up, I was wrong. It wasn’t that bad. It was actually quite engaging. Varied enough from the norm that I didn’t find myself snoozing when they confessed their undying love. I especially liked Robbie’s plot line and whilst obviously each characters’ ending is wrapped up in a happy, little bow, there were twists I didn’t see coming. And there was a good level of drama throughout. The were stakes. And this drew me in despite myself.

Whilst there is still some confusion for me surrounding certain characters’ motives, for the most part I enjoyed Crazy, Stupid Love. Did I love it? Am I now suddenly converted? Are we now about to publish a strictly rom-com review blog? No no and hell no. But it was funny, it was heartfelt, and ultimately succeeded in its task of entertaining.

6.5/10

---

Sam's Review

Crazy, Stupid, Love is a refreshing take on an often antiquated genre. Steve Carrell stars as Cal who begins his descent when his wife requests a divorce. Carrell is pleasant, though after watching The Office US it is incredibly hard to shake the goofiness of Michael Scott.

It's an easy watch. A credit to the film, though I am aware that Jess and I have slipped into a film rut. It's a sharp comedy, that I find myself chuckling through. However, never does this film run the risk of upsetting the status quo. Nor will it leave you with any deep questions. It's an agreeable film. And that's perfectly fine, since it does it well. The rare scenes where we border on tacky are balanced with genuinely touching moments.

The story is predictable. A side effect of the genre, I suppose. The premise of Jacob, played by Ryan Gosling, and Cal's meeting seems incredibly loose. The writers realise this too, as Cal mutters, “What am I doing?” once or twice. Add that to the perplexing argument at the school, as the outrage seemed unjust, and comes across as little more than a plot device, I feel as if this script could have used one more draft. Yet it keeps corny at arms distance, instead, using the all-star cast's acting prowess, reaches for authentic. It holds my intrigue for the length of the film, and the story ties up nicely.

If you want something with substance, this isn't it. But it's awkwardly heart-warming in all the right places, and you'll get a few laughs out of it.

7/10