MoeJackson

No combination of words is more anathema to a film critic than “romantic” and “comedy” – unless those words happen to be “Starring Matthew McConaughey.” So when one saunters into what is billed as a decidedly “non-raunchy” romantic comedy called Crazy, Stupid, Love one has to temper one’s expectations of what is about to unfold.

It turns out that while cliches abound, the film is saved by a fine cadre of actors in its principle roles (notably Marisa Tomei and Steve Carrell, and yes in that order) and the fact that it really makes one very profound statement on the nature of “True Love”: that it’s only true in the moment and if it is somehow reciprocated; notions of everlasting “happily ever after” and eternal bonds of undying devotion are the rare stuff of legends and for the lucky; the rest of us have to fall in and out of love on a daily (sometimes hourly) basis.

So what’s it about: a conventional middle class American family is seated at dinner one night. When the Mr. asks the Mrs. what she would like for dessert, she replies “A divorce.” And thus the unraveling of that crazy, stupid thing we call “Love” begins.

The film is structured along a familiar format wherein we have six or seven characters and/or plotlines loosely connected around the same theme (yes, it’s basically Love Actually, but with a decidedly cynical twist).

Here’s the breakdown: Steve Carell is thrown into a tizzy when his high school sweetheart and wife of some odd years (Julianne Moore) revels she has been having an affair with a smarmy coworker (Kevin Bacon) and that she wants a divorce. So Carell finds himself in the lounge-lit company of Ryan Gosling, far smarmier than Bacon dares to be, who plays an all-purpose ladies’ man who thinks he can pull Carell out of his funk. Carell is stymied by the charming Marisa Tomei while Gosling finds himself somehow smitten by Emma Stone. Oh, and to boot, Carell’s teenage babysitter has the hots for him . . . while the tween she babysits has the hots for her. Got it? Good.

You can probably surmise how the film ends (it’s a romantic comedy, for Pete’s sake!) and you might enjoy how it really tries to make falling in love seem like a worthy endeavor. It’s perhaps best considered as an alternative to all the action movies and popcorn flicks out there every summer: sure, it’s pretty darn scary to watch Harry Potter face off against the Dark Lord Voldemort . . . but even that legendary tale pales next to the story of an average schmo facing off against a much greater adversary: Love.