Crazy Stupid Love is crazy stupid fun, and not just because Ryan Gosling has an extended shirtless scene. (Though let's be honest, that sure doesn't hurt. Jesus Christ, he's beautiful).
The movie succeeds in bringing together some big and buzzworthy names (Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore and Emma Stone), to tell thoughtful and entertaining stories about love, at some points humourous and at others poignant.
Carell plays Cal, a hapless man whose wife (Moore) leaves him after the spark disappears from their marriage 25 years in. Gosling plays super-stud Jacob, who trains Cal to get back in the game. Jacob's an expert playa until young Hannah (Stone) walks into his life and shakes things up.
I'm often a little worried when too many names are attached to a specific project. We saw the trailer for New Year's Eve, for example, which looks like a cash grab (not to mention godawful) for each of the 17 top-billed stars in its cast. There's so many household names in that movie, there's no possible way it could tell an actual story.
But in Crazy Stupid Love, the cast -- as beautiful as some of them may be -- succeed in portraying characters in real relationships, with subtle nuances not common to so many slap-em-together romcoms these days.
Carell is a believable sad sack, while Moore channels moments of disillusionment and still looks more gorgeous than ever. Stone grows up a little bit, playing a law-school graduate with the spunk we've come to expect from her. And Gosling lightens up from his previous roles, stepping into expertly-tailored suits and showing off his playful side, in addition to his well-tanned and toned one.
The result is a romantic film that I think errs a little more on the side of drama than comedy, without taking itself too seriously. The chemistry is there thanks to some good writing and a cast of actors who commit to their craft.
Oh yeah, and Ryan Gosling takes his shirt off.