Friday, July 29, 2011

Review: Crazy, Stupid, Love


Tonight was the opening night of Crazy, Stupid, Love, which was better than I originally thought it would be. I mean, I figured it would be good because Steve Carell is great, as well as Emma Stone. And Julianne Moore. Not to mention the eye candy that is Ryan Gosling. But anywho, basically the story is about a long term married couple (married since age 17 I believe?) that toss the idea of getting a divorce because Emily (Julianne Moore's character) felt as though something in their relationship had died over the years, which led her to having an affair with co-worker, David Lindhagen (Kevin Bacon). Cal, played by Steve Carell, gets scooped up by Jacob (Ryan Gosling), who teaches him the tricks of the trade (in this case, picking up women at the bar).

General Thoughts:
Within the main story line, there are 2 cute inner stories, as well as several plot twists, which were very enjoyable, since some really weren't expected. I don't want to ruin the movie for anyone who wants to watch it, but at one point I figured it was about to be over, only to have more added to the story. Which made it a longer movie, but I don't feel as if it dragged much at all, because there was always something going on.
There were some cute/sappy moments (as expected), as well as pretty awkward moments, but what Steve Carell movie is complete without several of those? Equally awkward is when there's an intimate scene and you're just kind of sitting there, waiting for it to be over. There just happened to be one of those scenes in this movie that was way too stretched out in my opinion. (Actually there were two, but the other was just a ridiculous scene where Marisa Tomei is going crazy over Steve Carell.) The camera, literally, panned slowly down and then around and back up. Not to mention, it was a pretty silent scene. And it was a full theater. That aside, of course there were comedic scenes and moments, but I feel as though this particular film was more towards the serious end of the spectrum, as opposed to, say, Date Night, where the comedy was pretty much constant.

Comments on the Cast:
Steve Carell did a great job as usual. He always plays those socially awkward people so well. Ryan Gosling was gorgeous, with his extremely spiffy wardrobe AND "photoshopped" body. Lol, there was a slow-mo shot in the movie, (you know, those kinds that check the guy out) where he's eating a slice of pizza in the mall and he's all decked out, and I don't think I've ever seen anyone look as cool as he did, eating pizza. Emma Stone was just as goofy as ever, I love her. Oh, and what? Josh Groban? He was an unexpected appearance for me, since I didn't look deeply into the casting. I wonder if he will be doing more movies in the future.. Kevin Bacon is always good also, though switched gears a bit for this one, taking on more of a whimsical character in contrast to his recent performance in X-Men: First Class. Great jobs by the younger ones in this movie as well: Jonah Bobo (Robbie) and Joey King (Molly). Analeigh Tipton also played her role well, as an awkward/confused high-school teenager and babysitter.

Overall:
I enjoyed it, despite the sappiness and expected ending. I feel as though there was enough interest and fun plot twists that made it fine and separated it from many "chick-flicks". If you like Steve Carell, or are in the mood for something fun to watch, I recommend it!

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