Rath's Reviews: Crazy, Stupid, Love

I love going to the movies and being blown away. I love it when you go to a movie with literally no expectations and you come out with a great experience. Crazy, Stupid, Love is a perfect example of me going to the movie theater and being very pleasantly surprised. To be frank, I loved this movie and I'm not entirely sure why. It was funny but not hilarious and romantic but not tear-jerking. But the combination of these two aspects added up so perfectly in my opinion that Crazy, Stupid, Love kept growing on me as the movie went on.

The movie itself comes across on the surface like one of those typical Hollywood, star-studded, romance comedies, that is neither funny or romantic. I mean, just look at the advertising poster to the left; there are six major stars on there, all smiling as if their life is perfect. You can see why I had no expectations for this film. In fact, Ill even admit that I thought it would be pretty bad. And if there is anything that I have learned since I started going to the movies every week, its that you shouldnt judge a movie by its cover or previews. Sure, some of them are exactly how they look like in the trailers, but there are always movies (Im looking at you Piranha 3D and Kick-Ass) that surprise you and have the potential to blow you away.

Crazy...

Stupid...

Good!

I think the main reason that the film is so good is because it is perfectly cast. And by perfect I mean absolutely flawless. Even the children actors are really good, which is surprising because they are usually the weakest part of a film. Steve Carell shows us that he is still the king of awkwardness, but can be sweet as well. Ryan Gosling, who is emerging as one of the great actors of our generation (see Drive if you haven't yet. It's supposedly awesome, but not out yet here in Aussie land), plays his part as the womanizer great, but also shows us his comedic and soft side throughout the film. Everyone else, be their part big or small, does their role justice and at one point or another, we begin to feel for this crowd. In particular, Emma Stone shines along with Carell and Gosling. In my opinion, she is the most natural actress on screen today. Everything she says, I believe that her character actually wants to say. Her little quirks and glances make every character she acts as seem very real, if you haven't seen her in Easy A I suggest you do so, not to mention The Help is supposed to be phenomenal. 

Learning how to be a man

Another strong point of the film is the story. I always hate reviews that just give a "book-report" synopsis and ruin the story for you, so I will shy away from that. But, know that, even though the story starts off somewhat generic and slow, it gradually grabs you. I found that as the movie went on I was finding myself more and more attached with the characters, through their ups and downs, their interactions, their funny situations; it was just a very personable movie. In particular, the numerous scenes where Carell learns how to be a man from Gosling are hilarious, and you really see his character change as the way his wardrobe does. Another instance in the movie where all of the characters "meet" for the first time, is hilarious and provides the twist in the movie, one that I did not see coming at all simply because I didn't think this was a "twist" type of movie. However, the part of the movie that made me realize that I loved it was one of Ryan Gosling's scenes with Emma Stone. It was ridiculously romantic, but more so it was real. I wont go into detail, but it lets us see the flaws of a character that the movie had previously built up to be "perfect". I loved it. 

 The movie, like all others, is not without its faults though. There are several times where I thought it was the end of the movie and it really wasn't which is kind of annoying. Also, it was 2 hours long, which is a bit long for this type of movie, but at the same time there wasn't really anything they could have left out. 

But overall? I freaking loved the movie. There was just something about it, something that made me love each and every character, that resulted in a fantastic movie. I guess I could credit that to the acting, writing, and/or directing but honestly I just think it is because the movie is real. Its not cliched like so many other romance movies (*cough One Day cough cough*) and there are no particular scenes that I was like, "Oh that would never happen...only in the movies". And the part that surprises me the most is that it is truly a romantic movie at heart, which is probably my least favorite type of movie genre. 

I mean a romantic movie that isn't bogged down by Hollywood cliches? That's Crazy.

And not seeing this movie because it does look like a cliched Hollywood cash-in? That's Stupid.

How you will feel about the movie when you leave the theater? That's Love.

I mean, who looks this badass while eating pizza? Ryan Gosling thats who.

Pros:

• A true, real, un-cliched movie about love, life, and growing up and growing old. Many lessons to be learned
• Perfect cast. Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, and Emma Stone shine
• Did I mention Emma Stone? So freaking gorgeous
• Did I mention Ryan Gosling? So freaking badass. I want to be him
• None of the jokes fall flat, situations are funny and feel natural. None of the comedy feels forced, it just sort of happens
• Great surprise going into the theater with no expectations and coming out with a new gem
• Fitting soundtrack throughout film

Cons:

• A little bit too long
• There are a few times in the movie where I thought it was the end and it wasn't...kind of annoying
• It was sometimes hard to concentrate on all of the storylines going on, but it was certainly no Inception

Rath's Review Score: 9/10