Crazy, Stupid Love

Rating: 4/5

Every now and then I go and see a movie that I usually wouldn't. Usually it's something like Julie & Julia, and I almost always enjoy myself. Hell, if I wasn't adventurous about movies I wouldn't have seen films like Bridesmaids and Hobo With a Shotgun. That said, Crazy Stupid Love is not as good as either of those, but still good.

Cal Weaver (Steve Carell) is lost. He has good kids, a great wife (Julianne Moore), but all that is falling apart. His wife is leaving him, his older son (Jonah Bobo) has an unrequited love for his babysitter (Analeigh Tipton), and it's all falling on Cal. Cal's luck seems to turn around when Jacob (Ryan Gosling), a cool, confident womanizer, takes Cal under his wing. When Jacob falls in love with Hanna (Emma Stone), Cal and Jacob have to help each other.

If you couldn't tell by that last big paragraph, this is a pretty complicated movie, and I like that. I like that even though it's a romantic comedy, it doesn't take the easy route, and it doesn't overreach. The actors are all good, and the pace and script are very well put together. Crazy Stupid Love also manages to blend real, meaningful romance with very smart and funny comedy.

To be honest, my original rating for this movie was 3 stars. Then 3.5, and I'm settling on 4 now. The more I think about this movie, the more I like it. I know this review is late, but I'm recommending Crazy Stupid Love for anybody, single or not.