Crazy, Stupid Love Review

Just got back from finally seeing "Crazy, Stupid Love." I will provide the disclaimer that I do not like Romantic Comedies. I find them formulaic, redundant, and usually lacking in the charm and wit you would expect from the comedy genre. More and more, they have come to rely on safe toilet jokes that are funny the first time because of their shock value, but will undoubtedly be unable to provide a repeat performance and effect. Finally, they are generally littered with actors who while able to provide the comic thrills, are unable to really provide further depth to the characters they are portraying, rendering the story without much depth. When I first saw the trailer to "Crazy, Stupid Love," I was actually left with the desire to watch the film.A diverse cast of characters engaged in different stages of love seemed like it could provide a deep perspective on love in all its forms. The fact that the film contained top-flight actors such as Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore, and Marisa Tomei who's body of work usually fails to disappoint, and you are left with great hope. The rest of the cast, which includes the ever hilarious Steve Carrell, the promising Emma Stone, and even Kevin Bacon, is just the icing on the cake.

And I must say that it surely did not disappoint. The performances were top notch led by the scene-stealing Ryan Gosling at his most charismatic. Marisa Tomei, whose role seems prepped up to be bigger in the trailer, maintains that level of quality that one comes to expect from her with the limited screen time she gets. The rest of the cast provides sufficient depth and personality to the clever script by Dan Fogelman. The script never ceases to run out of new ways to surprise with the unexpected and takes sufficient risks to jolt in new directions without any anticipation. I also appreciated the fact that Fogelman has no quams at poking fun, not only at its own story's absurdities/cliches, but the genre's conventions as well. That isn't to say that the story does not unfold like your typical romantic comedy. It still follows the conventions, particularly later in the film, but Fogelman and directors John Requa and Glen Ficarra are careful to maintain the focus on the characters in order to pay off the audience's investment properly. We know where the story is headed (and even the ending is slightly open-ended that we are almost allowed our own conclusion), but the actual journey makes the it all worthwhile.

The film is not without its own flaws however. Without revealing too much, some of the characters do not get the sufficient amount of attention that one would expect. When the stories converge unexpectedly and then charge to their conclusion, you still get the sense that one particular story, which proves to be more important than anticipated, gets the short end in comparison with the rest and ultimately feels a bit rushed and underdeveloped. This is particularly noticeable when it is placed in the thematic context that the film seeks to express. The film seems interested in exploring the complex nature of love and relationships, and this particular story (because of its being rushed into the film in the final third) seems a bit generic when compared with other relationships that are explored.

Nonetheless, the script's honest attempt at true depth coupled with a brilliant cast and energetic direction provide for one of the finest films (thus far) of 2011 and surely the best romantic comedy of the year.