After 25 years of marriage, Cal Weaver (Steve Carell) is still as smitten with his high school sweetheart as the day they met. Consequently, he's so stunned when Emily (Julianne Moore) suddenly announces "I want a divorce!" that he goes into shock, opens the car door, and tumbles out while it's still moving.
Cal's bruises heal way before his broken heart, since his wife is still enjoying a steamy affair with a colleague (Kevin Bacon). After he moves out of the house, he also finds himself alienated from his kids, Robbie (Jonah Bobo) and Molly (Joey King).
Lonely and depressed, Cal ends up frequenting a singles nightclub where he proceeds to strike out with every woman he approaches. Luckily, his futility is observed from across the crowded bar by Jacob Palmer (Ryan Gosling).
Out of pity, the suave ladies man takes the terminally-nerdy newcomer under his wing, and teaches him how to dress fashionably, what manly drinks to order and how to deliver a pick-up line. In due time, the makeover magically changes Cal from a wallflower into a womanizer, and perhaps foremost among his many conquests is a flattered schoolteacher (Marisa Tomei) he charms by calling her "the perfect combination of sexy and cute."
Curiously, his transformation is completed just as confirmed bachelor Jacob finally falls in love for the first time in his life with Hannah (Emma Stone), a brainy knockout he's prepared to build his life around. Meanwhile, Emily's relationship with sleazy David has soured, leading her to have second thoughts about dumping Cal.
Thus, the question looming over the horizon reads, if she changes her mind about breaking up, will it already be too late to reconcile? So unfolds Crazy, Stupid, Love, a delightful and deceptively-complex, midlife crisis comedy co-directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa.
The film features a colorful ensemble embroiled in a hilarious fashion in an array of ill-advised liaisons. Ryan Gosling shines in a comic outing which is a bit of a departure for the accomplished dramatic actor.
A refreshingly-tasteful, romantic romp which manages to entertain and elicit lots of laughs without relying on a vulgar brand of humor.
Excellent (4 stars)
Rated PG-13 for profanity, sexuality and coarse humor.
Running time: 118 Minutes
Studio: Warner Home Video
Blu-Ray/DVD Combo Pack Extras: Deleted scenes, UltraViolet digital copy, and a couple of featurettes: "Steve and Ryan Walk into a Bar" and "The Player Meets His Match."
To see a trailer for Crazy, Stupid, Love, visit:
To order a copy of Crazy, Stupid, Love on DVD, visit:
Kam Williams is a syndicated film and book critic who writes for 100+ publications. He is a member of the New York Film Critics Online, the African-American Film Critics Association, and the NAACP Image Awards Nominating Committee. Contact him through NewsBlaze.
Search News
