Crazy, Stupid, Love.

Directors: Glenn Ficarra, John Requa
Writer: Dan Fogelman
Starring: Steve Carrel, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Julianne Moore
Release Date: July 29, 2011
Length: 1 hour 58 minutes

This summer managed to spout two romantic comedies back-to-back featuring “It Girl” Emma Stone, Friends With Benefits and Crazy Stupid Love. The film incorporates a crazily diverse cast of talented actors like everyone’s favourite funny guy Steve Carell and making his comedic debut, depressing movie icon Ryan Gosling, who is romantically paired to teen sensation Emma Stone in her first adult role. Suffice to say, you have no idea what to expect with Crazy, Stupid Love.

Directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, the film tells a few interlocking stories of love in different generations. Carell plays Cal Weaver, a man who has just found out his wife has cheated on him and now wants a divorce. Making a fool of himself every night at a hip L.A. bar, the much younger ladies man Jacob Palmer (Gosling) decides to take Cal under his wing and reinvent his manhood, while he can’t stop thinking about the beautiful interesting girl he met, Hanna (Stone), who rejected him. While preparing herself for the bar exam, Hanna hopes her geeky lawyer boyfriend Richard (played by Josh Groban) will propose. Also, Cal’s 13-year-old son Robbie (Jonah Bobo) desperately pines for the love of his 17-year-old babysitter, Jessica (Analeigh Tipton), who actually has a creepy huge crush on Cal.

The film is exactly what the title infers. Sometimes the situations the characters, most often Carell, find themselves in are completely crazy and absolutely hilarious. Dan Fogelman’s script is so unique and original that much of the humor completely comes from pure randomness that works within the confines of the film. When it doesn’t work, and we are watching pure slapstick, well, that’s when the film gets stupid.  We can only let ourselves believe so much absurdity before it just gets too unrealistic. Stupidity might mean bad writing. However, it does not mean you can’t enjoy it. Depending on your maturity level, you can allow yourself to enjoy some scenes of utter ridiculousness, like a random fight breaking out between four different men in the film that just makes you laugh. The humorous scenes of the film only cross that line of silliness a few times, though and that is why this film ends up being entirely lovable. Fogelman does not only write a refreshing hilarious script, but it is also extremely clever and real during the less ridiculous scenes of comedy. He creates such interesting, complex characters that flow and contrast each other perfectly and it plays so well onto the screen.

From the adorable geeky Hanna to the cute and uncomfortable Cal, his bold and shameless son Robbie, his self conscious immature babysitter to the womanizing but sweet Jacob, the film is filled with different endearing characters played terrifically by the odd cast. Steve Carell carries the film perfectly as the go-to unassuming character the audience’s heart stays with as we sympathize for him, one incident after another. Carell brings his comedic skills to the film with no issue but he also wonderfully shows his dramatic skills as an actor for the most of the film, as a man whose wife has unexpectedly asked for a divorce. In his first comedic role, Ryan Gosling shows that all of his skills as an actor are endless.  He is absolutely hilarious as the gorgeous womanizer and mentor to Cal. A pure natural to say the least, Gosling shows he is a whole other kind of sexy in comedy. He and Carell share a very strange but very enjoyable bromance, which mostly involves Gosling’s confident character harassing the meek and annoyed Cal in any way possible.

Gosling also shares an incredibly charming chemistry with Emma Stone, who just seems to be getting bigger in Hollywood. For whatever reason, once fame has reached them, many starlets lose the talent or skills that got them noticed in the first place, but Stone’s hysterical performances continue to hold the same power they did in her breakout roles. As she captivates the screen with her insanely adorable awkwardness, we can only hope she sticks around forever in Hollywood. Julianne Moore is another actress that never lets the audience down, with her funny but sad portrayal of a slightly self-centered wife. Thirteen year old newcomer Jonah Bobo is also very good in commanding his good portion of the film, making us laugh just as much as the adults, while model Analeigh Tipton is also very cute as his innocent babysitter. Marisa Tomei, Kevin Bacon and musician Josh Groban are also very funny in the few scenes they have on screen.

The plot unfortunately does follow a slight formula that can’t be missed, especially with a very cheesy and improbable ending, but by that time you have enjoyed yourself so much, it doesn’t faze you. This is a truly one of a kind sweet film that is completely crazy, stupid and lovable. The cast, writing, and directors all pull together to give you an odd kind of romantic comedy that is romantic, sad and will most definitely make you laugh. Crazy, Stupid Love is a gem that cannot be missed.