Crazy, Stupid, Love Review

Crazy, Stupid, Love Review

Crazy, Stupid, Love. The title says it all. Human beings do crazy things, human beings make stupid choices, but mostly human beings do crazy and stupid things for love. The movie is briliantly clever, and shrewd in its conception. If you can forgive the implausible coincidences that pop up in the movie you will have one heck of an enjoyable experience.

The movie centers around Cal, played by Steve Carell. Cal has just been told by his wife that she wants a divorce, and that she has been cheating on him. Cal is in shock. He literally cannot comprehend that the woman he loves, the only woman he has ever loved, not only cheated on him, but wants him gone. Carell does a magnificent job of portraying Cal, especially in the early moments when he is paralyzed by shock.

His shock takes him to a bar, the kind of bar that only exists in never never land. Over flowing with beautiful women who are just dying to go home with a stranger. Of course Cal doesn't pay these women any attention, except to feebly try and vent, to desperately confide in anyone who will listen. It is here that he meets Jacob, a slick, yet successful, womanizer who takes a different woman home every night, because he can. Jacob pities Cal, and decides to give him an Oprah style makeover. This makeover leads to increased confidence, and much more meaningless sex for Cal.  The meaningless sex is Cal's coping mechanism, if he can't love the one he wants, he must love the one he is with.

In addition to balancing the Cal/Jacob storyline, the movie also juggles a story involving Cal's 13 year old son, and the object of his attention, their babysitter.  Did I mention that the babysitter has a dangerous crush on Cal? Cal's son is a true romantic who throws words like "soul-mate" and "true love" not knowing that these words are dangerous, even more dangerous when they are real.

The third ball in this juggling act is the story of Hannah, played by Emma Stone. Hanna is a young law student who believes her boyfriend will propose any day, and who is devastated when he pump fakes her. Of course Hannah, walks into the bar where Cal and Jacob now cruise. Jacob takes her home, and because the movie is PG-13 no sex is had. There is however a deep connection made that alters Jacobs preconceptions about the meaning of love, and for him is a "game changer."

The movie juggernauts its way towards a climax that can only be described as predictably unpredictable. In other words you unexpectedly get what you expect. Yes the chaos that erupts in this moment is a bit like watching an episode of Jerry Springer, but it is still hilarious, and will leave you laughing at the thought of it well after the credits roll.

In 1998 I praised a movie called Playing By Heart, a lovely if not contrived movie about love in its many forms, and phases. Like Playing By Heart, Crazy Stupid Love, is a lovely, if not contrived story about love in its many forms. Many of the same elements are at play here in Crazy, Stupid, Love. And while both films are very different, both films try to shed light on the subject of just why love makes us crazy and stupid. Of course this is an unsolvable riddle with no answer. Anyone who says otherwise is just fooling themselves. All you can do is accept that life is unpredictable, so just enjoy the ride. Be crazy, be stupid, and above all things love.