[7]
In this ensemble romantic comedy, Steve Carell plays a middle-aged husband and father whose wife (Julianne Moore) breaks the news that she wants a divorce. In Pygmalion fashion, Carell then becomes the pet project of a young metrosexual (Ryan Gosling) whose confidence and charm makes him irresistible to women. With Gosling’s help, Carell is transformed into a more dapper, confident man. As he dates a wild and crazy school teacher (Marisa Tomei), Moore begins to question whether she made an error leaving Carell for an office coworker (Kevin Bacon). Meanwhile, Gosling’s bar prowling may be coming to an end as he meets the gal who could be ‘the one’, played by Emma Stone.
Crazy, Stupid, Love follows formula for the most part, but the stellar cast and a surprising third act help elevate it from the rom-com fray. Carell’s chemistry with Gosling is the glue that holds the film together, while Gosling and Stone are sensational in their scenes together — especially when she agrees to bed him, but only after he shares all his courting tricks with her. Moore does the best she can with a slightly disingenuous role, while Tomei plays it for broad laughs with the film’s most cartoonish character.
Dan Fogelman’s screenplay moves well, balancing myriad relationships. The tangled web of character dynamics also includes Carell’s and Moore’s fifteen-year-old son (Jonah Bobo), who’s chasing after his slightly older babysitter (Analeigh Tipton), who in turn pines for Carell. While the comedy isn’t necessarily gut-busting, the cast is entertaining enough to make Crazy, Stupid, Love a rewarding watch.
Directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa. With John Carroll Lynch, Liza Lapira, and Josh Groban.