So I cried throughout the movie. Seriously. Throughout the movie. I hadn't watched a film by myself in quite a while, which is actually one of my favorite things to do. Eleven twenty in the morning I sat all alone in the theatre, at the very top, in the very middle of the isle. Wonderful. My own private showing. My own private emotionally drenched showing, figuratively and literally.
There are few films that I can watch more than once. Off the top of my head I can only think of four that I can watch multiple times. About A Boy, Vanilla Sky, Becoming Jane, and now Crazy, Stupid, Love. What do these films have in common? My manipulated heart strings.
Forget a ridiculously charming performance by Ryan Gosling and a generally great ensemble cast, the story was just spot on. The story was real.
Steve Carell is Cal. Cal is being divorced by his wife Emily (Julianne Moore), with whom he has two children. One of their kids is Robbie, a teenage boy in love with his babysitter, who is actually in love with Cal. Cal is devastated and starts going to a bar to vent over alcoholic beverages. At this bar he meets Jacob (Ryan Gosling), a (sexy) ladies man who takes pity on him, gives him a makeover and promotes him to the ranks of metrosexual womanizers. At this bar Jacob meets and falls in love with Hannah (Emily Stone), who at first spurns him but later succumbs. Meanwhile Emily takes note of Cal's transformation. When Hannah ends up being Cal's daughter, so that he finds out that she and Jacob are involved, he's angry. But then it's fine because in the end the story comes together and everyone loves everyone and I'm weeping uncontrollably.
The writing is brilliant, the story cohesive, dialogue believable, comedy funny, the acting stellar and the direction entertaining. I can't ask for anything because nothing is lacking.
So you're wondering why I cried throughout Crazy, Stupid, Love? Well the answer is simple. I've experienced crazy, stupid, love. Have you? Didn't it make you cry?
1 comment:
Loved this movie. It was funny, heart felt, relatable... and Ryan Gosling has never been sexier. This film, more than The Notebook, brought him to my attention. And any film that makes you laugh and cry interchangeably with joy has accomplished quite a feat, in terms of how a film can impact an audience.
Bravo.
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