Crazy, Stupid, Love stars Steve Carell (The Office, 40 Year Old Virgin) as Cal Weaver, a 40-something who learns that his wife of 25 years (Julianne Moore) has cheated on him and wants a divorce. It's easy to see why this couple has drifted apart — she's constantly trying to communicate, while he's completely disengaged. At one point, Cal even attempts to escape his nervously prattling wife by literally jumping out of a moving vehicle. Yet there's no real animosity between the pair, and they seem to still love each other, which only makes Crazy, Stupid, Love more confusing than it needs to be.
Having lost his soul mate, his house and any friends he shared with his wife, Cal takes to frequenting a chic bar and drowning his sorrows. All he can talk about is David Lindhagen (the man his wife slept with, played by Kevin Bacon) and how his wife left him. One night the sexy womanizer Jacob Palmer (Ryan Gosling) — who the filmmakers treat like a demigod and provide with deep reverberating music, slow motion and fake wind to blow open his designer jacket — takes an inexplicable interest in the moping wreck. Jacob gives Cal a total makeover, takes him to the gym (where we get to see some very revealing shots of Gosling's chiseled bod — maybe he is part god after all), and ultimately teaches the schlub how to hit on and objectify women. After being with the same person since high school, watching Cal bumble around on the dating scene is definitely a treat.
There are two main subplots in the film, one involving Jacob and a law student named Hannah (Emma Stone), the other about Cal's son, Robbie (Jonah Bobo), and his crush on his babysitter, Jessica (Analeigh Tipton). Jacob meets Hannah in the very beginning of the film. Naturally he hits on her, but she doesn't take the bait. They don't see each other again for the majority of the film, but sparks fly when the do, with Jacob straying from his typical, emotionally unavailable misogynist behavior. There isn't a whole lot of conflict between the two, except for one twist involving her family that is not alluded to at all, and even then the relationship seems pretty solid.
The other subplot, about Robbie and Jessica, ends up consuming more of the film than was necessary — though it is pretty funny. Robbie thinks that Jessica is his soul mate and isn't shy about admitting it. This makes Jessica uncomfortable — in part because she's much older than he is, and in part because she's actually "in love" with Cal. Now, don't get me wrong, I love Steve Carell and I think he's a fairly attractive middle aged man, but what kind of 17-year-old girl pines for someone who is so not hot? Of course, this delusional, quasi love triangle causes some trouble, especially when Jessica does something that is ill-informed but unfortunately typical of today's kids.
Overall, Crazy, Stupid, Love has a mediocre story and not enough laughs. The idea of fighting for love is fine, but the characters are so one-dimensional it's difficult to pinpoint believable motives for their actions. For example, we never get a concrete reason for why Jacob wants to help Cal "rediscover his manhood." Also, although Hannah hardly seems to be in love with her boyfriend, she's hoping that he will propose to her. Why? And when he offers her a job at a law firm instead, she storms out and gets drunk. I would think someone who just passed the bar would be excited about a job offer.
Additionally, the balance of the main plot (Cal/his wife/Jacob) and the subplots (Robbie/Jessica and Jacob/Hannah) are off kilter. While the trailer seems to emphasize the Jacob/Hannah relationship, they don't get together until late in the movie (although their interaction, when it finally happens, is one of the best parts of Crazy, Stupid, Love), while the Robbie/Jessica subplot gets way too much screen time. The progression of these dueling plots and subplots is oddly structured, and the development of the characters (if you can find any) is muddled at best.
All that said, Crazy, Stupid, Love has some funny parts (not to mention a sexy, shirtless Ryan Gosling) and will keep most people entertained for a few hours on a rainy afternoon.
This article appears in Jul 28 – Aug 3, 2011.