Crazy, Stupid, Love.

Cal (Steve Carell) has grown complacent in his relationship with Emily (Julianne Moore). When she asks for a divorce, he agrees to sign anything he wants as long as she'll stop talking about it. Cal meets Jacob (Ryan Gosling) at an upscale bar, Jacob is a smooth operator and takes pity on Cal and offers to give him some tips to pick up ladies. Jacob eventually falls in love with Hannah (Emma Stone), and Cal's son Robbie is in love with his 17 year old babysitter, who is in love with Cal.


So that about sums up the foundation for this movie. I really liked Crazy, Stupid, Love. You may remember that the last movie I watched with Steve Carrel was Dinner for Schmucks, and I thought he and the movie were incredibly annoying, but I liked him in this one. His humour was dead-pan, observational, and sarcastic and I thought his character was likeable and relateable, and you really kind of care about his life. And that's what makes this movie more than a comedy, or romance, or drama. It doesn't do ridiculous things for laughs (except maybe Marissa Tomei's character - she was a little over the top). And while the movie is about love, there isn't a whole lot of romance, and it's just too funny to be a drama. It has a wonderful balance that allows for characters to be developed and the story to be told.  On top of that, everyone has good intentions, there is no malicious character - everyone is allowed to figure things out on their own. Kevin Bacon has a small roll as the man Emily cheated on Cal with, and while he has feelings for Emily, he doesn't try to sabotage anything, which is nice for a change. I did have some issue with the chemistry between Stone and Gosling, but the scene where they spend the night together is just really well done, that you kind of forget about the odd pairing. I am struggling to classify this movie as a chick-flick or not, it's definitely approaching it, but I think that even guys will enjoy the humour and the relationship between Cal and Jacob.

A funny, heartwarming, realistic, serious movie.


And Ryan Gosling is just really attractive in this movie, and with me being Canadian and him being Canadian, it's like I actually have a shot, right?