*Warning! This review contains spoilers.
CRAZY STUPID LOVE, the latest romantic movie from Columbia Pictures, has a dash of the comedic antics of Steve Carell which is currently delighting moviegoers everywhere in the metro. For the past weeks where a series of action hero movies dominated the big screen by storm, this movie provides the needed break from the adrenalin rush brought about by those several action-packed films. Unlike other chick flick films where only the ladies get the treats, the comedic exploits of Steve Carell will surely make movie-watching worth the guys’ time as well.
Movies with love story themes are normally preferred by my wife and I am simply the ever loyal tag-along partner to watch it with her. But this time around, since she was suddenly assigned by one of her editors to cover an event in Cebu, I was left to watch the press screening of Crazy Stupid Love without her by my side.
The story is about an average middle-aged couple. Steve Carell stars as Cal Weaver while Julianne Moore plays his wife, Emily. Their lives were at a typical mid-life crisis point where the routine daily grind of their careers have taken away the romance of their 20-year relationship. This resulted to Emily’s confession of a one-time affair with an office colleague named David Lindhagen (Kevin Bacon). Facing a looming divorce, Cal moved out of the house and contemplated on improving his life with the help of a seasoned club-hopping gigolo – Jacob (Ryan Gosling) who, with his machismo and hot charisma, seem able to entice every hot woman in town.
Undergoing some lifestyle makeovers, Cal finally learned the trick of luring women and successfully hooked a naïve school teacher. Kate, played by Academy Award-winner Marisa Tomei, happened to be his son’s fifth grade teacher. Thus, several coincidental circumstances brought all the characters together to all sorts of crazy conflicts. This included Cal’s daughter, Hanna, played by the ever-alluring Emma Stone, who became the Jacob's love interest.
Cal’s son, Robbie (Jonah Bobo), on the other hand, relentlessly did his best in bringing his parents back together while nurturing his affection towards their day helper Jessica (Analeigh Tipton) who, in turn, happened to have a huge crush on Cal. The revelations of each character’s desire towards one another caused pandemonium and added to the story's hilarious scenes.
In the end, as they say, love prevails. This romantic film, as crazy as it is, still brought lessons of acceptance and the grace of second chances. It also touched on the value of forgiveness and fighting for the things that are right and important. Cal eventually won his wife back; Jacob got Cal’s approval to pursue Hanna; while Robbie finally got a kiss from Jessica plus an extra special photo memorabilia that will drive him crazy for the rest of his life.
Crazy Stupid Love is rated PG 13 and is best recommended to be watched by couples. Director Glenn Ficarra made superb casting choices because the chemistry between Carell and Moore worked perfectly well in the movie. It’s a wonderful film thanks to the quality acting prowess of Hollywood’s best talents minus the special effects of CGIs. So it's true, the abs of Ryan Gosling was definitely NOT Photoshopped :)
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