Crazy, Stupid, Love.

by A. Journey

About

2011 Romantic Dramedy, Dir. Glenn Ficarra and John Requa

Featuring a strong ensemble cast, Crazy, Stupid, Love centers on Cal, a middle-aged husband/father played by Steve Carell, who must deal with the fact that his lifelong soul mate (and wife) wants a divorce. He meets Ryan Gosling’s Jacob, who helps Cal turn his life around.

Why I saw it?

Did you see Dan in Real Life? It’s a breezy little film, sure, but it’s Steve Carell’s dramatic performance as the title character that really makes it memorable. Doing another dramatic role? I’m all for it. And I haven’t seen an Emma Stone film I haven’t liked. **I have to say, too, that this movie made possible a reunion for myself and a couple of friends after they had a chance encounter at the same screening. After what seemed like a night of serendipitous moments during the reunion, I thought it would be best if I saw this little film that brought us together.** 

Reaction

Is this the summer for Superheroes and… Romantic Comedies? I raved about Friends with Benefits last month, and get ready folks, I’m about to rave about Crazy, Stupid, Love.  While FWB played on the lighter side of the genre with joking self-awareness, Crazy, Stupid, Love is a tad more serious yet surprisingly funnier–what’s even more, in the same way FWB toys around with genre conventions, CSL (wait, is that too many abbreviations?) knowingly twists and embraces those norms to great effectiveness. While taking elements of the genre that people (secretly) love–there is a reason films are made in this genre–Crazy, Stupid Love adds something special and unique: realistic characters, relatable situations, and drama that matters. I’ve never seen such depth in a Rom-Com, or Rom-Dram, rather.

What Works
–Cast and Characters. As I predicted, Steve Carell was amazing in this, following his character’s varied transformations perfectly. I could go on about the rest of the ensemble cast. Julianne Moore is excellent in everything she does, Ryan Gosling hits the balance between likable loner and jerky womanizer just right, and Emma Stone, in a relatively small part, delivers. I have to give a shout out to Kevin Bacon, who after his turn in X-Men: First Class, is becoming an actor on track for a huge comeback. I didn’t even mention the excellent performances and one-liner deliveries of the minor cast members. As good as each of the actors is, what really works is how they interact together as a whole. The ensemble is wonderful, and the well-written characters they bring to life provide a depth to this kind of movie that is usually non-existent. Without these actors and without the characters they are allowed to portray, this film might be forgettable.

-Play on Genre.  It’s not as overtly self-aware throughout as FWB is, but Crazy, Stupid, Love knows how to effectively exploit the natural beats of the rom-com through its ability to be realistic in tone and staying true to the characters. It also employs “misunderstanding” to move the plot and events along, like many romantic comedies, but instead of being aggravating, it feels like real life. Even the soundtrack, with its constantly shifting tone, bucks the norms of the genre while completely, enjoyably, fitting into it. **A geeky note: One of the main original themes from Cristophe Beck and Nick Urata sounds like it is lifted from Dave Matthews Band’s Lying in the Hands of God. Probably a coincidence, but no matter, it was a constant reminder that I get to see Dave live in a week, which made the movie that much better. I guess that’s my punctum.**

-It’s downright funny. I didn’t expect it, and you might not either at first, but it is one of the funniest laugh-out-loud movies I have seen in theaters in awhile.

-A shocking surprise. I will NOT ruin it, but let me say that I have not been this satisfyingly surprised and utterly shocked by a film moment since Lost was still on television. And that is saying something.

-How it treats love and divorce. It’s a topic that doesn’t seem to be taken seriously in a lot of comedies, or in other films for that matter, but the movie paints a wide picture of love and divorce that is realistic, heartbreaking, and complicated (and crazy and stupid).

-Josh Groban. Some people hate him, but I think he’s pretty likable. He plays a tiny part as a slimy jerk here. It’s a glorified cameo, but he’s great, and for some reason I want to see him act more.

What Doesn’t Work
-Tone. For the most part, the annoying, silly elements of the romantic comedy aren’t present here, but I think the film tries too hard to be a romantic comedy, especially at the end, when it actually might be better suited as something else. There is plenty of serious drama in the movie that could have played even more realistically if the movie hadn’t undercut it with goofy or embarrassing moments so often. Not that the comedy isn’t hilarious, because it is, but I think the film’s reliance on the conventions of the rom-com and its sudden tonal shifts from sober to silly take away from what could have been an even better movie.

See it?

Talk of genre aside, Crazy, Stupid, Love is an excellent movie that inspires as many laughs as it does serious thoughts on the meaning of love and how it works. The ensemble performs exceptionally well together, and with a uniquely successful script that throws realistic characters into a romantic comedy plot, I give my full recommendation to see this movie.

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