Review of Crazy, Stupid, Love. (2011) by Film W — 01 Feb 2018

Strengths: The story to this film is clearly well thought out. Everything that happens matters and pays off later on. When Cal (Steve Carrell) gets his first successful hookup at the bar, it turns out to be his son's teacher (Marisa Tomei), which leads to a great scene. There are little details sprinkled in throughout that add so much when you realize what they're there for. The entire cast is splendid. This marked the first time Ryan Gosling (Jacob) and Emma Stone (Hannah) shared the screen. Their chemistry is wonderful here and it's probably why they went on to make several other films together. It's the best chemistry in Hollywood right now. Carell is great, bringing the perfect blend of comedy and heart to the lead role. Julianne Moore (Emily) is so good, you can't help but feel for her, despite her character's questionable actions to start the film. Tomei and Kevin Bacon (David) were both great in small roles. There are so many great, memorable scenes here. Everything involving Gosling and Stone is electric, especially their first night together. In fact, all the pairings were top notch. Gosling and Carell, as well as Carrell and Moore, never fail to deliver the goods together. The big scene where everything comes to ahead at Emily's house is one of my favorite ever. It's loaded with hilarious acts and great character moments. I've seen this movie several times and it holds up, never getting old.

Weaknesses: It's hard to really find any. The stuff beyond the big scene at Emily's house does feel like it might go on a bit long. The stuff involving Jessica (Analeigh Tipton) isn't great, though it adds a lot of fun in the later stages.

Overall: Not many movies can perfectly combine the laughs and the emotion. This one does it perfectly. The cast is terrific and all give very good to great performances. The writing is sharp and the story goes through some great twists and turns that keep you on your toes. One of the best romantic comedies ever.