This past Monday -- the first of August – I treated myself to some air-conditioning...

Crazy, Stupid, Love Movie Review
08-04-2011
- by Jill Summers, Guest Mumbler
This past Monday -- the first of August – I treated myself to some air-conditioning and a bucket of laughs. Crazy, Stupid, Love is an easy-going comedy centered on the messiness of love and how we all have to find our way and stumble around our own shifting identities. Love stars Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore and Emma Stone. I’d rate it a 4.5 out of 5. Good for date night or an afternoon with pals. Or, in my case, all by my sweet little ole self.

I settled in preparing to lose myself for an hour in someone else's life story and issues. CSL didn’t disappoint. After all these years of living the dream -- a stable marriage, established careers and great kids -- Emily (Julianne Moore) opens with the proverbial dropped bomb... "I want a divorce," to Cal (Steve Carell) before the coffee and creme brulee can be served. On the ride home Emily proceeds to further admit to Cal that she's had an affair with a co-worker named David Lindhagen (Kevin Bacon). Cal threatens to jump out of the moving car if she doesn't stop, but come on ladies…do we really ever know when enough is enough? So, you guessed it, out Cal tumbles to the asphalt, cursing his fate.

The film plunges from the denial phase into shock and the meat of the plot starts to unravel. While sitting at a bar, drinking his 'David Lindhagen' woes away, Cal meets the smooth and polished (and did I mention ultra hot) Jacob Palmer (Ryan Gosling). In an effort to help his new pal get over his wife (and yes, the constantly mentioned, David Lindhagen situation) Jacob, the professional bachelor/ womanizer, takes pathetic Cal under his tutelage and informs him the reason he lost his wife is that somewhere along the road of life Cal has lost his manhood and identity. Jacob helps Cal change his frumpy image with a new wardrobe, haircut and ahem a replacement for that 80's Velcro wallet (at least the Member's Only jacket portion of the film was probably left on the cutting room floor, whew).

Jacob, then, spends an immense amount of time teaching and training Cal on how to talk, pick-up and act around the ladies (aka to STOP mentioning the fact that your wife slept with Lindhagen for Pete's sake!) After several bumbling attempts, Cal finally finds a willing participant in Kate (Marisa Tomei). Kate gives Cal a wild night which fuels the confidence with women he’s been lacking.

Meanwhile Emily (Moore) is starting to 'date' David Lindhagen and she leaves the kids Robbie (Jonah Bobo) and Molly (Joey King) with their 17 year old sitter Jessica (Analeigh Tipton). Robbie begins to profess his love for Jessica who, he is convinced, is his soul mate even though he is only 13. Jessica thwarts his efforts because she is falling for an older man who is.. none other than... Robbie’s dad! Ewwww! Can anyone say jail bait?

Jacob, in the midst of Cal's transformation and self discovery, meets and starts to fall for Hannah (Emma Stone). Emma rebuffs his efforts at first, but then seeks him out, breaks through the false shell he's erected around himself with her directness and honesty, and the pair begin their own stumble into love. Cal is busy getting his, ahem, "feet" wet but still pines for Emily, his true soul mate. Robbie and Cal are tossing a ball around and Robbie very maturely reminds Cal that if he still loves Emily then he needs to fight for her. Cal begins to do just that...

The film has an intricately woven storyline as many personalities and paths cross and connect. There is also a couple of surprising twists that I wasn’t expecting which make the movie that much more endearing, entertaining and enjoyable.

Tags: crazy, stupid, love crazy, stupis, love crazy, stupid, love official trailer crazy, stupid, love movie review Julianne Moore Steve Carel Crazy, Stupid, Love Crazy, Stupid, Love quotes Steve Carell Kevin Bacon Jonah Bobo Joey King Analeigh Tipton Ryan Gosling Marisa Tomei

20 Comments
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