Genres

Visitors Review

Al Hasan 2012-05-24 21:54:45

Effin'.... AMAZING!!!

I... I loved it. Guess I can end my review right there. But I'm notgoing to.I... was mind-blown, literally. I went into the theater all happybecause I was FINALLY gonna get to see "The new Emma Stone movie" (I'ma huge fan), and I came out with a HUGE grin on my face. I literallywalked around with my teeth sticking out for about 10 minutes...literally. The movie was... well to quote myself when my friend askedme, "DUUUUUDE, IT WAS SOOOOO F****** AMAZING".Hilarious... a few twists... heart-filled drama (I almost cried,ALMOST)... and Emma Stone. I give it a 9/10 for awesomeness but a bit(A BIT)of a bad script, some of the lines weren't great, I wasexpecting a few love quotes and also Emma Stone didn't get enoughscreen time (in my opinion)... but I guess that's what make's thismovie so great, it wasn't what I expected.

deadbunny28 2012-05-24 12:56:17

NOT a Generic Romantic-Comedy

Once I read a review where Roger Ebert mentioned how for the entiremovie he sat there with a stupid grin on his face. That is similar tohow I felt about Crazy, Stupid, Love. Only this had moments ofoutbursts of laughter, a few tears at the end, followed by an ear toear smile.This movie is magical in the sense it is a true over achiever, awarrior in the time of 'sloth-ness' in the world of film. It seems asthough the directors Glenn Ficarra and John Requa were given a scriptthat could have been your generic Hollywood romantic-comedy and throughgreat understanding of love and pain as well as adept skill theytransformed it into something far more grandeur.All of the performances were outstanding…Steve Carell and Ryan Goslingwere knockouts. Steve Carell is able to shift between his usual comedicprowess to earnest empathetic drama. Meanwhile Ryan Gosling continuesto prove himself as one of the most talented actors of the neotericage. All of the side performances were great as well. I was quiteimpressed with young Jonah Bobo, Emma Stone shines through with hercharismatic charm that I am growing fond of, and Marisa Tomei isabsolutely hilarious in this.I went into this movie expecting another generic cliché love story, butthere is so much care put into the characters here, and the conceptsare fleshed out so skillfully that it is so much more than that. Thismovie is a contender for best movie of the year and might just be a newpersonal favorite of mine. Unless your heart is literally made ofstone, this is a must see movie. 10/10

Jackpollins 2012-05-24 04:17:10

From Michael Scott to Ladies Man, From Blue Valentine to Crazy Stupid Love

When Steve Carrell left The Office, I was about as sad as I have everbeen about a TV show. When Ryan Gosling struggled in both Half Nelsonand Blue Valentine, I was about as sad as I have ever been about amovie. With those two statements being said, I really wanted a lightromantic comedy, I was tired of all the sadness. I am glad to report Iactually did not get that, at least not out of Steve Carrell's plot. Icould have never imagined this film working as a drama..but now I couldnever imagine it working as a comedy. While Gosling is charming anddoes create a good amount of laughs in the film, the main focus is onCarrell's character, who's just a sad sack character. That being said,I loved not only Cal (Carrell's character), but I also loved Carrellhimself in the film. Now that James Spader is joining The Office, andnow that Carrell is throwing himself into a dramatic role, and doing avery good job at it, I could see myself really not missing MichaelScott much at all. Also, there are a lot of attractive women in thisfilm, such as Emma Stone, Julianne Moore, and Marisa Tomei. They allhave really good plots as well, especially Marisa Tomei. Kevin Bacon isalso quite funny as Moore's co-worker/new boyfriend. To end my review,I must mention Robbie (Jonah Bobo) falling in love with Jessica(Analeigh Tipton), which I may have even liked more than Gosling orCarrell's plot. It's such a sweet plot, and Tipton and Bobo are risingyoung stars. Overall, don't go into Crazy Stupid Love expectingCarrell's next Date Night or Gosling's next Blue Valentine, go inexpecting something in between those two. If you wish for either ofthose two and not the other, you're going to be disappointed,otherwise, just like me, you'll love it.

jaybe1 2012-05-23 16:13:09

Has to be watched it's brilliant

I thought when I sat down to watch this that it would just be anothersilly film with Steve Carell in it but I couldn't have been more wrong.It's a very well written romantic comedy that looks at the life ofSteve's character Cal Weaver who has been asked for a divorce by hiswife and "soul mate". Ryan Goslings character Jacob sees that Cal isdistraught And offers to help him become a better man and a womanizerwith Some funny results. The film also looks at his 13 yr old sonscrush on his 17 yr old baby sitter that is also very entertaining. It'sjust a brilliant heart warming film with brilliant acting. Steve Carellis brilliant in it as is Ryan Gosling. Enjoyed every minute of it. Thebest romantic comedy I've seen to date hands down.

w11062 2012-05-22 23:46:50

I recommend Crazy,Stupid,Love

A nice movie. Emma Stone is cute. Marissa Tomei is good. Movie is thesecond half goes out of focus. Ending is disappointing. But a goodnight out for your wife or girlfriend. A nice movie. Emma Stone iscute. Marissa Tomei is good. Movie is the second half goes out offocus. Ending is disappointing. But a good night out for your wife orgirlfriend. A nice movie. Emma Stone is cute. Marissa Tomei is good.Movie is the second half goes out of focus. Ending is disappointing.But a good night out for your wife or girlfriend. A nice movie. EmmaStone is cute. Marissa Tomei is good. Movie is the second half goes outof focus. Ending is disappointing. But a good night out for your wifeor girlfriend.

ozhansargut 2012-05-22 12:27:19

Message given

Bravo Jessica(Analeigh Tipton).Take the cat off the wall.That pictureshouldn't be at the background from the first moment.The message ishidden in that scene.Actually I can't say it's a message.It's somethingdeeper.Maybe some of the viewers couldn't understand the meaning ofthis scene.Why did she take the kitten picture of the wall? I can'texplain it here. Just investigate the reason.I interpret that scene inmy way and I hope you do the same.Probably my comment will be removed.So lets say something about the whole movie. I think the movie is worthwatching.Steve Carell and Julianne Moore did her best.They showed ushow the parents should and shouldn't be. Fight for your love.Go forit.Don't be afraid to say I love you. Age is not a matter.There waslove without limits.

vostf 2012-05-22 08:22:47

The perfect blend of funny and serious

The major achievement of Crazy, Stupid, Love is to bundle so much funand emotion, without a dull moment, in a basically routine suburbanfamily crisis setup. You can't say this for a whole lot of movies eachyear, unfortunately.It doesn't start fast, it's rather low key until you get your runthrough the whole exposition. But it gathers momentum, scene afterscene situations become crazier while never spinning out of hand, andcharacters are consistent and likable all along.With such a nice movie, delivering on all counts, you should be plentyhappy. Yet, if you really insist, typecast is Julianne Moore as theneurotic suburban wife (but she does it very good and with some nuancefrom previous assignments) and typecast is Marisa Tomei as the crazyfunny spicy litmus gal. These great actresses are really underusedhere. For it's more a movie about the guys, understanding them and havesome fun with them, but who cares about this bias as long as it works?

oneguyrambling 2012-05-21 13:14:29

I will never watch it again - but the first viewing didn't hurt as much as I thought.

I don't deliberately look for rom-coms in movie listings for the samereason I don't try on pairs of high heels before settling on my latestNikes; I am not the potential consumer they had in mind when theymanufactured the product. Put another way, I don't think ads for Crazy,Stupid Love were in high rotation on sports channels or in the pages ofFHM.But I have a 5 foot tall bundle of pent-up aggression that I mustperiodically pander to… Cal (Steve Carrell) and Emily (Julianne Moore)are a married couple intheir mid 40s on date night at a plush restaurant. After perusing themenu for a moment Cal asks his wife of 25 years what she wants, shereplies "a divorce". So the restaurant is not exclusively a la cartethen? (I would also ask why date night seemed a good time to break outthe news. I mean really, enjoy your meals guys.) Cal obviously had noinkling of the impending bombshell despite Emily previously admittingto a fling with a work colleague, and he seems to have understandabletrouble in processing the news that his last quarter century hasabruptly ended. Upon moving out he takes to drinking alone in a plushnightclub, annoying anyone who will listen with all too detailedspecifics of the reasons behind his malaise.Enter Jacob (Ryan Gosling *SWOON*), a younger man who similarlyfrequents the same club, but a man cut from decidedly different stock.Jacob is everything Cal is not, he is bold, smooth and aggressive, thekind of man women only see in slow motion. The kind of man that seemsto command the attention of all eyes in the room. The kind of man thatcan calmly eat dinner at the bar of the nightclub, wipe his mouth andimmediately approach a woman sitting two tables away with the expressintent of picking her up. For reasons unknown to anyone but thescriptwriter Jacob pities the older lion and he promises to 'reawakenthe man in you', cue the lengthy montage where he does just that, andCal is systematically reinvented from the New Balance sneakers on up.Now normally that would set the scene in a typical rom-com, with theingredients in the bowl it would simply be a case of playing out timein the unnecessarily complicated dance of inevitability, with whichevercouple is deemed worthy of enjoying the purest form of blisssmoocherooing for the final few seconds before the credits roll.But Crazy, Stupid Love is a deal more complicated than even that. Thereare numerous subplots and peripheral characters dancing heresimultaneously in an out of proceedings. The proliferation ofcharacters is a strength of the film – Col's son in particular ishilariously awkward and clumsily blunt – but it also requires asuspension of disbelief larger than more out there films such as SourceCode or Limitless. The spoiler-free version acknowledges that a rom-comdemands coincidences and twists, otherwise where is the muted suspenseto come from? But this film calls for far more than mere coincidence,the karma forces at play here are so very strong that I would suggestthe chances of actual occurrence would be the equivalent of winning thenational lottery three weeks in a row.But ultimately this is neither rom nor com, Crazy, Stupid Love has itsshare of romance (I guess) and is generally amusing without moving toofar into either twee or gross-out territory – a line that seems to begetting harder to navigate – and although there are precious few laughout loud moments on the plus side I never hated myself for sittingthere, predominantly due to the strength of the leads, Steve Carrelland Julianne Moore are so likable that it seems a shame that their fakemovie marriage ended, Emma Stone is rapidly making her name as the downto earth chick that threatens neither male nor female and it would behard to resent Kevin Bacon even if it was your wife he was hunting.Which brings me to Ryan Gosling, the current dreamboat for thirty-somewomen everywhere, nice and non-threatening enough to introduce him tothe folks yet ripped enough to leave them weak at the knees.I actually like the guy, but I don't really understand the allure of asoftly spoken man who constantly slurs his speech like Gosling does,regardless of how hot the boy is. I'm pretty sure that the drawl thingis a turn on when he's whispering in your ear, not so much when you'reasking – for the 6th time – why he hasn't managed to take the bins outeven with those great heaving muscles.I guess that's the beauty of the rom-com genre, for a couple of hoursthe normally unlikable becomes likable, the illogical somehow logicaland the reprehensible strangely 'hensible'. Crazy, Stupid Love takesseveral disparate individuals and has them variously hurting each otherin many ways, yet we as an audience can't help for some if not all ofthem to get together… in the traditional male/female marital unit senseat least.While I still haven't seen The Notebook (and hope I never will) I thinkCrazy, Stupid Love is a more palatable alternative for guys, and aboutas bearable as the rom-com genre can dish up.Final Rating – 6 / 10. I will never watch this film again, but my firstviewing didn't hurt as much as I thought it would.

KineticSeoul 2012-05-21 11:49:46

Enthralling dramatic comedy that deals with love

When I first saw the trailer to this movie I wasn't excited to see itor anything like that since romantic comedies seemed to be just headingtowards just toilet humor a lot of times now a days. And just by seeingthe trailer I could sort of tell what the story was about and it turnsout I was wrong...And that is a good thing this time. Since the premiseisn't entirely original but it's much better than the direction itcould of went. A lot of the scenarios had a bit of the Asian drama vibeto it with everything that is going on, well a very condensed versionof it and with more of a American flare to it. The main positive thingabout this movie is that just about everything from the premise, thedirection, the characters and the jokes...It just works for the mostpart. I couldn't help but be entertained by whats going to happen next,I mean it's sort of predictable but it's how it's delivered that makesthis movie fun and enthralling to watch. The humor in this is actuallywitty, it's more of the serious but funny humor and doesn't rely ontoilet humor. It has a bit of sex humor than and there but it wasn'tannoying and for the most part it was sort of clever how it'sdelivered. Another thing that makes this movie work is the cast, almostall the cast fit right in with this movie and premise. Steve Carrelldid the whole mixture of comedic/serious thing almost perfectly andRyan Gosling played the ladies man really well, although sometimes itseemed like he was playing himself. All the rest of the cast put on agreat performance and I guess it's because of the performance but thechemistry although short at times was believable for the most part.Overall this is a dramatic romantic comedy that just about anyone wouldenjoy. Unless your one of those annoying teens with a single digit IQthat just makes stupid noises, take random pictures and hide behindchairs constantly while other audiences are trying to watch a movie.Which happened when I was watching this movie, to sum it up this isn'ta stupid comedy and isn't meant for stupid people that doesn't have thecourtesy to just enjoy a movie while not bothering other people.Anyways it may not be the funniest comedy but the direction of it allis what makes this movie great.8.2/10

joshwesselius 2012-05-20 23:59:06

A Healthy Addition to a Sappy Genre

I had three reasons for originally seeing Crazy, Stupid, Love thisweekend. 1. I heard bad things about Cowboys and Aliens. 2. Mygirlfriend said so. 3. Emma Stone is gorgeous.Fortunately, I was pleasantly surprised with the end result. Thescriptwriting was clever, witty, and never stiff, while the directingwas top-notch. However, no matter how you play it, this is a characterstory. Steve Carell plays Cal, a likable middle-aged man whose wife, Emily,(Julianne Moore) suddenly requests a divorce after 20+ years ofmarriage, along with an announcement that she has cheated on him.Heartbroken, Cal eventually turns to the rich womanizer Jacob (RyanGosling). His story of "re-discovering his manhood" (read: seducingwomen in a bar, including the wonderful Marisa Tomei) soon intersectswith the story of the young, smart, and aspiring lawyer, Hannah (EmmaStone) as well as a deranged love triangle between Cal's middleschooled son, his babysitter, and Cal himself.It was refreshing to see Mr. Carell play a not COMPLETELY incompetentcharacter for a change, and he plays it well. Needless to say, all ofthe actors and actresses played their parts well, but surprisingly, Iwas most impressed by Ryan Gosling's performance, a man who Ipreviously viewed as pure woman's eye-candy. For the most part, the on screen relationships were honest andendearing, with the exception of the middle schooled infatuation withthe babysitter (call me cynical). The "bedroom" scene with Hannah andJacob is especially engaging (even though I usually hate montages).Steve's love for Emily never seemed silly, and the babysitter's crushwas played out just long enough not to be tiresome.I also liked the "twist" (are twists allowed in romantic comedies?),which I didn't guess earlier on. The laughs were also plentiful andhearty enough without being too lowbrow/slapstick.However, I have yet to see a perfect romantic comedy, and Crazy,Stupid, Love has its share. For instance, Hannah and Jacob'srelationship is squeezed in and never given time to develop. They aregiven one scene to fall into unconditional love for each other, andalthough the scene works great, the relationship feels distanced. Also,Emily's reason for divorcing Cal is never fully explained. Yes, shecheated, and he's apparently boring, but she seems to want Cal backfrom the moment she leaves him. I won't harp on Cal's son's wince-inducing endeavors for his love, butlets just say some of it was over-the-top. And of course, no movie inthis genre escapes clichés (note to screenwriters: climax scenes ofpublic embarrassment/expression of love where the on screen audiencehas no relation are NOT funny. Please stop). Finally, the first halfflowed much better than the second, and guys will feel conned by thenecessary Hollywood ending. All in all, I found myself laughing, smiling, and enjoying this flickmuch more than I thought, and that's what entertainment is all about. Irecommend Crazy, Stupid, Love. Oh yeah, and there's Kevin Bacon.

Jeff Heimbrock 2012-05-20 11:53:44

Crazy, Stupid, Love: Review

Like a breath of fresh air, Glenn Ficarra and John Requa's CRAZY,STUPID, LOVE rises above the heap of lifeless, senseless romanticcomedies, and presents us with something more. What the directorsmainly focus on is…wait for it: love. But not just love, but adolescentinfatuation love, teenage infatuation love, guilty love, regretfullove, real love, fake love, all of these different types ofrelationships and feelings, that are not simply displayed, as in mostother entries into this genre, but truly felt, and that's where themovie gains a heart that not only makes it fairly believable, but makesit alive and more than shallow. Above all, it focuses on two veryspecific thoughts on love: the one of the one true love (cliche atbest) and then the sexual love. And the strength of the film is whenthe characters (who do in fact have feelings that are adequatelyportrayed) gain clarity on the difference. It's not the most sensitiveor poetic way that the message has been portrayed in the past, but themovie never tries to be an art film, just a smart, character drivencomedy. We get a series of different situations, which at first seemedtoo fragmented to make an impact. On that matter, I still believe thefilm suffers from not letting us spend enough time with, say, EmmaStone's relationship with Ryan Gosling, and though I don't believe ittries to cram in too many plot points, I do think that the balance isslightly off. Not enough, of course, to jeopardize any enjoyment ofwhat's going on. All of these fragments pay off in the third act of themovie, when they come together in a way that might have seemedpredictable, but actually made for some great character moments andhilarious scenes. It is this fact that the directors and screenwriterDan Fogelman can take the clichés of the genre and use them to advancethe emotional storytelling that's taking place. This doesn't work allthe time: an almost cringe worthy moment happens towards the end of thefilm that strays into an area far beneath its smart writing andwonderful performances. Speaking of the cast, they were incrediblyassembled and are what makes this film what it is. Steve Carrell's bestperformance, slick work from Ryan Gosling, another example of EmmaStone's throning as Queen Bee of Hollywood, and, most importantly, thealways sublime Julianne Moore, who starts off this comedy withheartbreaking sequences featuring Carrell that make this more than justa feature for laughs. The best romantic comedy since 2009's 500 DAYS OFSUMMER, this film presents the very nature of it's main subject. LoveIS crazy, love IS stupid, and we love it. A-

Philby-3 2012-05-19 20:08:49

Rom-com with a few surprises

As the movie opens Cal Weaver's humdrum but comfortable life as anaccountant in Beverly Hills is rudely shattered by his wife Emily(Julianne Moore announcing in a crowded restaurant that she's beinghaving an affair with a workmate and wants a divorce after 25 yearsmarriage. Cal (Steve Carell) moves out and drops in to the single barsscene where for reasons not entirely clear ("you remind me of someone")lounge room Lothario Jacob (Ryan Gosling) who beds a different gorgeouswoman each night takes Cal in hand and trains him to be just assuccessful. Meanwhile Cal's 13 old son Robby (Johna Bobo) has fallen inlove with the family's babysitter, High School student Jessica(Analeigh Tipton) who in turn has a crush on Cal. Then Jacob actuallyfalls in love, with young lawyer Hanna (Emma Stone) and Emily starts toyearn for her discarded husband.This all sounds like a conventional romantic comedy of the feel-goodvariety, but directors Glenn Ficarra and John Requa and writer DanFogelman have a few surprises up their sleeves. The performances arefirst-rate and the dialogue crackling. There is some reliance onslapstick but also some real emotion conveyed. Ryan Gosling's Jacobmight perhaps be too shallow to be true ("you look like you've beenphotoshopped" says Emily, on seeing his torso), but it turns out thateven he has a credible backstory. As the principal lovers, Steve Carelland Julianne Moore exhibit a realism seldom seen in romantic comedy andthere is some fine comic work from Maresa Tomei as one of Cal's loungebar conquests who pops up a bit closer to home. At 120 minutes the filmis slow in places – I would describe the direction as quirky ratherthan slick (how else can one explain the cinematographer's penchant forshoe-level shots) but more rewarding than the average rom-com, andalthough the ending is contrived it's still satisfying.The directors, whose best known previous works, "Bad Santa" and "I LoveYou Phillip Morris" were decidedly quirky, have toned things down a bithere, but the characters are credible and sympathetic. I also liked theway the deep seated prudery and overdeveloped sense of decorum thatafflicts middle class Americans are sent up. After an unseemly thoughperfectly understandable brawl in the Weaver's picture perfect backyard it falls to Vietnamese-American Officer Huang to tell the warringparties to do their fighting inside where the neighbours can't hear. Ialso liked Cal's line as he is rejected again by Emily outside Robbies'high school after a disastrous parent teacher interview and it startsto rain: "This is such a cliché". Well I suppose anyone going to see arom-com ought to be prepared for clichés, but here they are cleverlyhandled, if a little sugar-coated.

TheLittleSongbird 2012-05-18 16:56:34

A very surprising Rom-com, and one of Steve Carrell's best ever performances

I have nothing personal against Rom-coms, it's just that sometimes afilm really surprises you in a good way or it falls flat on its face.Crazy, Stupid, Love fortunately belongs in the former category. Ifthere was anything that lets Crazy, Stupid, Love down, it was that thefilm stumbles a little in the final act.Everything else however works, and the result is a surprising andhugely enjoyable Rom-com. The filming is never cheap and often stylishand pretty and the scenery is very striking. The soundtrack alsocompliments the film very well, as does the direction. The story isvery clever too with seldom a dull part, only the final act has signsof inconsistency.For me, what lifts a Rom-com especially is the cast, the chemistry andthe quality of the script. Luckily, Crazy, Stupid, Love succeeds in allthree of those areas. The script is funny in a witty, droll andinfectious sense, with plenty of moments to warm your heart and touchyou too. The chemistry of the actors is also there and very believablydone.Steve Carrell is brilliant here, while I do consider him talented withgood material, I don't think he has been this good in a while. RyanGosling exudes charisma in his role, Julianne Moore and Emma Stone arevery charming and Marisa Tomei while perhaps over-the-top is memorable.In conclusion, very surprising and really well done. 9/10 Bethany Cox

jeromec-2 2012-05-18 02:53:32

Not Citzen Kane but a thoughtful unexpectedly good movie

Crazy, Stupid, Love is a movie about 3 couples and 2 educations. It isnot an ordinary comedy because people are allowed to say and do thingswhich reflects our times and our society more than it does the wishesand dreams of a segment of our society.Couple Number One ================= Cal Weaver (Steve Carell) and EmilyWeaver (Juliette Moore) are out celebrating when he asks her what shewould like (thinking the answer might be something like pumpkin pie)when she announces she wants a divorce. That's quite an opening line for a "comedy." Because he loves her, he immediately though very reluctantly agrees.He's read all the modern truisms about separation "If you love someonelet them go." So he lets her go. All very cold and civilized. But hedoesn't respond that way; he's not civilized at all.Reliable straight arrow Cal has a response that his 13 year old sonRobbie (Jonah Bobo) would understand perfectly. He goes to a bar,drinks too much, and announces to the people in the bar just how sad,hurt, unaccepting he really is. He lives the 21st century but he feelsthe 1950's. The Educations ============= The education is in two parts. There isCal's education and then there is Jacob's (delightfully filled out byRyan Gosling – a terrific actor who can do just about anything). Thefirst one is easy. It is all fantasy. Jacob convinces Cal that there isa method to dealing with women: Right clothes, right lines, rightattitude and right tone of voice; that's all it takes. Jacob isshallow, and who knows but his shallow methods might work on a certaintype of woman. Cal sees it works like Alternate Medicine. People aroundyou say one thing and Dr. Jacob another. Who's to say Jacob isn'tright? So Cal is a good student. He goes from an uncertain bubblingincompetent to a clone almost as good as Jacob himself. In one of theminor sub plots, he seduces Marisa Tomei who plays her absolute bestover the top recovering alcoholic who has bought into our view that sexis therapy. That is the height of Cal's career as 21st century loungelizard. It also is a wake up call for him. He knows how shallow all ofthis is.The second education is that of Jacob, who discovers that for all herbrilliance, Hannah, (Cal's oldest daughter played by Emma Stone) isgrounded in something far better than meaningless sex. She believes inlove and though she is distracted by her reaction to the cold stupidityof a coworker, she is not so blinded that she can't see where Jacobwill lead her even though she thinks that's what she wants. Hannahdemands underneath that frustration, that Jacob do more than get herfixed. Perhaps because some of Cal's virtue rubs off on him, Jacobrealizes he must comply with her values.The Second Couple ================= This is really intended as eithercomedy relief or a spoof on the "Nerd" movies. It is the puppy love of a thirteen year old (Jonah Bobo who playsRobbie Weaver) and his baby sitter (Jessica startlingly well done byAnaleigh Tipton). It is a real over the top presentation, but its notunrealistic. It is the way a young teen would act, if not over someonethen something. There is commitment, there is enthusiasm, there isdesire, there is single mindedness, there is the willingness to doanything it takes to succeed. And there is wisdom. He is smart enoughand practical enough that Cal (who both loves and admires Robbie – arare combination) admits out loud that sometimes Robbie scares him.In the meantime Jessica is in love with Cal. She's older but reallyjust as inexperienced as Robbie. In our century sex knows no realboundaries (it's love that's the problem), and she's willing to takethe advice of a much more knowledgeable "older" woman – a classmatethat knows how to deal with "older men." Jessica accepts the advice anddoes what she is told. The trouble is that she cannot get up the nerveto give what she does to Cal and her parents discover it. That's whenparental love comes in contract with sexual ease. Hell hath no furylike an inflamed parent.Robbie, faithful and very truthful observer that he is, gives up onher. How can he compete when a woman does not recognize him to be onthe same playing field? We have just killed the 1930's and 40's notionof one girl many beaus.The Least Convincing Couple =========================== I was leastconvinced by Emily and Kevin Bacon. Of all the people in this movie,she learned the least. Once she was convinced how much Cal had learned,how he could cope and how much he was dedicated to the idea of her, shewanted him back. She's Harlequin at its best. What this movie did =================== The director and actorsrejected any notion of anything less than a good strong marriage. Withall its troubles and disadvantages it is still our best option. Thismovie makes any of us who are in committed marriages very uncomfortablebecause it is bleak and at the same time rich, powerful and yet peopleget to snivel, it knows its society, yet it dares to choose a value asold as the beginning chapters of Genesis. It shows our vulgarity, butchooses modesty. Like it or hate it, Crazy, Stupid Love at least has the courage tostand for something that is critical of our revolving divorce door andshallow discontent.

aarav_malhotra 2012-05-18 02:13:48

It didn't work with me!!

Well, I would say we have seen the same story again n again. Only thedifference here is they have some twist in the end, which I foundtotally out of place. This movie was a total let down, and I would notrecommend anybody wasting their time. The whole execution the story isreally poor in my opinion and none of the scenes make a lastingimpression. I had expected a better movie than this and the twist inend I found as been put together forcibly just because they want sometwist to regular story. Well let me talk about performances: SteveCarell is good, gets advantage as he is producer of film. Julliane isOK..Kevin is small role(really good actor), Emma stone just lost herone fan in me. I mean seriously. Ryan is OK and gets little scope butgood as flamboyant playboy. His story is undeveloped and should havebeen better told. Steve Carell's youngest daughter is really goodactress. If you have not watched her film then you should check outRamona and Beezus. Rest of the cast is OK and did give OK performances.

DonFishies 2012-05-17 20:51:31

Bittersweet, emotionally uplifting and distinctly hilarious

Crazy, Stupid, Love. is one of, if not the best, American romanticcomedies of the past decade. This may come as a shock to some (as itsurely took me aback) but there is no other way to describe it. Goinginto an advanced screening of the film earlier this week, I had mydoubts that it would be anything outside of generic. But instead oftripe, I got one of the most unexpected surprises I have seen all year.Cal (Steve Carell) and Emily (Julianne Moore) have hit a rough patch intheir long-time marriage, and Emily inadvertently announces to anentire restaurant that she wants a divorce. Down and depressed, Calstarts drinking away his sorrows at a local bar, attempting to makesense of his predicament with anyone who will listen. Jacob (RyanGosling), a professional bachelor, takes notice and makes it hispersonal mission to help Cal get over his wife, and become a new man inthe process.But this is just the main plot thread of the movie. It also followsJacob's relationship with the absolutely stunning Hannah (Emma Stone),throws in a bit of curveball with Emily being romanced by David (KevinBacon), and even has a bit of a focus on Cal's son Robbie (Jonah Bobo)pining over his older babysitter Jessica (Analeigh Tipton). It maysound a little packed with threads and too many characters, but Crazy,Stupid, Love. is able to navigate between each character and couplewith ease. It reminded me a lot of Valentine's Day, and how its maingoal was to depict how different love is for a sizable amount ofcouples and singletons. Except it failed miserably at it, and stood outmore as an example of every rom-com stereotype you could imagine.Thankfully, Crazy, Stupid, Love. takes the higher road and breathes newlife into a stale genre.While the impeccable cast is more than enough reason why the filmsucceeds so well in being an atypical film in the genre, it is the crewbehind-the-scenes that surprises even more. The film is written by DanFogelman, who is best known for a string of Disney films and theatrocious Fred Claus, and is directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa,who wrote and directed the sadly little seen I Love You Phillip Morrisand wrote the now classic Bad Santa. These three would not be the firstgroup on men I would turn to for a film like this, but their relativelack of expertise helps propel the film to the heights it reaches. Ittakes darkly hilarious turns in certain instances, plays othersequences totally unconventionally, play even more out with aforeboding sense of drama the trailer merely hints at, and trumps morethan its share of genre stereotypes. Weaving between the plots lines,they make the film feel unique and different from others, all whilegiving it an aura of authenticity. While they stumble a bit in thefinal act with a series of sitcom-like shockers that border onludicrous, they manage to pull off the rare feat of actually making theaudience wonder if these characters will all end up together in theend, or if they will walk their separate ways; something that is trulyuncommon for this genre.Acting wise, the film delivers in spades. Carell gives one of his bestperformances to date as Cal, moving as swiftly as the script requiresbetween depression and humiliation, and touching and hilarious. Thefilm stretches his dramatic muscle more than most, and allows him togive a performance that does not rely on laughs. The expressions on hisface are just devastating in some sequences, and the wonder in otherscenes is ridiculously hilarious. It is a performance I hope to see himcome back to again, and make even better. Gosling plays against type,and gives an absolutely hysterical performance. He shines brightly inevery scene, nailing every line and mannerism, while making thisscumbag of a lothario become someone to really care about. He exudeschemistry and helps make everyone else's performance better. Moore andStone also give great performances, easily balancing the humour withthe drama. They are not given nearly as much to do as the guys, buthold their own on- screen.The supporting cast does even better. Bobo is phenomenal in his role,conveying an innocence and naivety that is more mature than I thoughtpossible. He acts like more of an adult than some of the older castdoes in many instances, and gives the performance a well-rounded otheryoung actors would be incapable of. Tipton is not nearly as good, butplays the role of a confused teenager a little better than you wouldimagine. Bacon does great in a small turn as does Liza Lapira asHannah's best friend. But it is Marisa Tomei who steals the show fromeveryone, playing one of Cal's conquests. She is dementedly unhingedand ridiculously over-the-top, but never falters. Her performance maybe one-note, but it is easily the most memorable thing about the film.If I hold anything against the film (other than the final act stumbleand the oh-so convenient way one particular scene comes together), itis that it ended. I know I have harped on how unlike other typicalromantic comedies Crazy, Stupid, Love. is, but there is really no otherway I can rave about it. I easily could have spent more time with thesecharacters, and pined to find out what happened to each of them afterthe final fade out. The incredibly unlikely pair of Ficarra and Requahas crafted a truly wonderful and hilarious film that is nothing likewhat you could have expected watching the trailer. It is bittersweet,and easily one of my favourite movies of the summer. And this is comingfrom someone who loathes almost every single romantic comedy everconceived.8.5/10.

William K. Scurry Jr. 2012-05-17 07:18:20

The worst movie I've seen in a LONG time.

Aside from an occasionally inspired moment or two from Marisa Tomei,this movie is an unstructured, poorly-scripted, badly-edited waste ofsome very talented people's time. Steve Carell took it upon himself toshepherd this to fruition quite unwisely -- maybe he should think longand hard about the material he wants to bring to the screen. Betweenthis and "Dinner For Schmucks," he's done a poor job of working thepost-"Office" movie angle. The script left no hint as to what anyonewas feeling, and we had to take it on face value what was going on inthe characters' heads. We were never given a clue as to whether weshould like Carell, Gosling, Moore, Bacon, etc. I don't know how youget anything this wrong.Oh, and Julianne Moore was miscast.

cmarschal-21-83114 2012-05-16 16:10:52

My first review ever: This film is much more than expected!

I expected it to be the usual Steve Carell comedy (like 40 year oldvirgin), but I turned out to be both a comedy and a nice drama withemotional depth and a few twists. After seeing the film You will end uphappier than before! :) I am thankful for that! It is about true loveamidst all the usually propagated casual sex and about realizing howprecious that true love is. That's an extraordinary message for acomedy! The chemistry between the cast members works and makes thestory believable. Especially the young boy had an important part andnicely glued the family together. I got surprised, give it my firstreview and a 8 out of 10. Enjoy!

Nuz_Reviews 2012-05-16 01:51:10

O-M-G!… A sappy comedy that even works for the male audience

I can't even remember the last time Steve Carell was actually in a goodmovie. In the past decade he's been in a lot of "hit or miss" typeflicks. Emphasis on the "miss" with movies like Dinner for Schmucks,Date Night, Get Smart, Dan in Real Life, and especially Evan Almighty.Don't get me wrong, I still laughed, just didn't enjoy the cinema. The40 Year Old Virgin and Little Miss Sunshine were the only true Carellflicks that I enjoyed in roundabout way.With that being said, 2011 brings us Crazy, Stupid, Love. A quaintlittle rom-com flick under the direction of duo Glenn Ficarra and JohnRequa, who came together once again after their tag team direction ofR- rated rom-com I Love You Phillip Morris. Being released two yearsapart, their movie direction definitely improved.On to the movie review itself.Crazy, Stupid, Love begins with the divorce dinner of two of the maincharacters, Steve Carell's Cal and Julianne Moore's Emily. Cal isimmediately deemed by the audience be the "loser" or "40 Year OldVirgin" type character he does so well. Even a little bit of MichaelScott from NBC's The Office can be felt. I was definitely excited atthis point and the movie just started!The next scene introduces us to Cal's 13-year-old son, Robbie, playedby Jonah Bobo. For being only an age older in real life, I thoughtlittle Jonah Bobo did a spectacular job. Immediately we see that he ismadly in love with his 17-year-old babysitter, Jessica, played byAnaleigh Tipton. This situation alone fuels some of the comedy.The casting really does add so much more appeal to this film. Detailsahead. I was also surprised to witness how funny a PG-13 rated moviereally could be, while maintaining a classy feel. No raunchy comedyhere. No "F-bombs" here. No slap-stick. Sure, the characters cheat andseem to be angry at times, but they understand their mistakes.We figure out that Emily is fooling around with a guy at work played byKevin Bacon. Interestingly funny is Bacon.After Cal finds himself completely depressed by the thought of hisdivorce, he sobs at a local cocktail bar. Here he overhears, thusfinding Ryan Gosling's character, Jacob, who is undoubtedly thecomplete ladies' man. Even actor Ryan Reynolds admits his abs to bemore superior than his own. Ryan Gosling is the superior actor as well.Really enjoyed his performance.From here Jacob agrees to help Cal make the most of himself and teacheshim the way of the "Ladies' Man." That's when the movie really begins.The humor that perspires from the interaction of Cal and the women atthe bar was delightful.The movie does slow down towards the middle with cliché montages, butseemingly picks itself up.Eventually Cal finds himself a real catch in the form of Marisa Tomei'scharacter named Kate. While this is going on, Jacob, the man who taughtCal how to score all those girls, falls in love with Emma Stone'scharacter, Hannah. Cal is not happy about that.Without giving away too much of the plot, I will say that I reallyenjoyed all of the O-M-G worthy plot-twists that took place. You'lljust have to see for yourself. Take a date.8/10 Stars.

paudie 2012-05-15 07:30:06

Funny, Smart, Movie

This is an above average romantic comedy with an excellent cast and afew unexpected plot twists.Steve Carrell is shocked when his wife of 25 years (Julianne Moore)tells him she wants a divorce after she has a one-night stand with awork colleague After moving out of home he starts to drown his sorrowsin local pick up joints. He is spotted by a younger self-confessedLothario played by Ryan Gosling. He uses his good looks and charm tobed almost all the women he sets his eye on. He decides to take Carrellunder his wing to advise him how to make the most of his newly singlestatus. However we do see Gosling failing with one lady, played by EmmaStone.There are some laughs as Carrel's character is transformed and startsgetting a bit of luck with the ladies, first off with a teacher, playedby Marisa Tomei. We also see how he tries to maintain a goodrelationship with his kids. There are a number of story lines that youknow will probably all come together at some stage of the movie.The cast members are all excellent. Stone and Carrell have donecomedies before and are excellent again here. Moore, Gosling, Tomei andKevin Bacon also put in excellent performances. Jonah Bobo is alsoexcellent as Carrell's teenage son.The writing is excellent, makings us feel sympathy for the maincharacters, despite their faults.So despite a closing scene at a school graduation that is dragged outtoo long I really enjoyed this movie.