Crazy, Stupid, Love.

          So far on this blog I think it's safe to say that I have reviewed a fair amount of romantic comedies, especially lately. But then again, I think that term is thrown around too loosely sometimes, or used too technically. I've done it myself. For example, when you talk about Wedding Crashers are you saying its a comedy or a romantic comedy. My bet is most people say comedy. I do, but if you wanted to get technical you should label it the latter. Any who, my point is that when the term romantic comedy is used, most people expect some cheap, cheesy, gimmicky movie starring Hugh Grant or Katherine Heigl, that in all honesty is probably a chick flick. However, every now and then a movie comes along that fits the title of its genre, but does not go by its specifications. Crazy, Stupid, Love is one of those.
           Crazy, Stupid, Love is about....well...love. DUH! It's about first loves, lost loves, new loves, and everything in between. This movie follows many different people that all become connected in some way, but mainly around Cal and Emily Weaver, played by Steve Carell (Despicable Me) and Julianne Moore (Chloe). They're married high school sweet hearts and the movie opens on them at dinner. It's quite obvious the two have fell in a rut, but no more than a couple minutes into the movie does Emily drop a bombshell. She wants a divorce and has slept with a coworker named David Lindhagen, played by Kevin Bacon (X-Men: First Class).
          At this point Cal is quite depressed as expected, and begins going to the same bar every night where he drinks heavily and complains about his life. Here he meets womanizing, smooth talking, playboy Jacob Palmer (Ryan Gosling of All Good Things) who vows to take Cal under his wing and show him how to pick up women and get him over his ex-wife. All the while, Jacob had his advances spurned just a tad earlier in the film by an attractive young woman named Hannah (Emma Stone of Easy A) who seemed to have really caught his eye. From here we watch as Jacob helps transform and revitalize Cal into a new found image and persona. But through it all Cal still suffers as he goes through his divorce and deals with not only his longing love for Emily, but his son's love issues as well.
          Though this story focuses centrally around Cal and Emily and their relationship, everyone else involved has their own love and relationship to figure out too. It's how all of these people intertwine with each other and connect in some way that makes this story so good. It's really quite clever how the writers were able to put it all together and that just adds onto how funny the movie is. The trailer is loaded with laughs, but those aren't the only ones in there. Steve Carell is hilarious as usual and Ryan Gosling portrays his character perfectly. It's an all around great effort by a superb ensemble cast and everyone gets in on the laughs. Though my favorite line might be one by Cal midway through the movie, where right as you think the movie is falling into a gimmicky cliche, he drops a line that totally calls the movie on it and makes fun of itself; and as you all know I love when a film is able to do that.
           In reference to the ensemble cast, I do not want to leave out Marisa Tomei (The Lincoln Lawyer) and Kevin Bacon's characters. Though not seen much, they both make the most out their short screen time. Tomei is hysterical and perfect as a slightly crazy hookup of Cal's that comes back to haunt him, and Bacon is funny as Emily's moving to fast boyfriend who is quite frankly, just a douche.
          Overall, this movie had everything one good ask for. It appeals to a mass audience and both genders. It's funny, touching, clever, and provides a few unexpected twists to keep the viewer quite entertained. Plus, it's not overly long with running time of 1 hour and 58 minutes.
           I give this movie a thumbs up and 3.5 out of 4 stars. If you haven't seen it, do so. It's a great date movie. If you have seen it, see it again. Heck, I'll probably go buy it. As you could guess this movie is out on DVD and Blu-Ray and is also available at your local Redbox. Enjoy!

Editor's Note:  As I said in my previous post from this point until the Oscars I will be more than likely only posting reviews of Best Picture nominated films, though who knows something else could slip in. My next review will be on the nominated Woody Allen film Midnight in Paris, starring Owen Wilson and Rachel McAdams.

All Good Things

            Though I have no legitimate expertise when it comes to making a movie, I'm going to express an opinion anyway. In my experience as a viewer I have found that when creating a movie that is inspired by true events it usually goes one of two ways. Either it's really well done and is a great picture (i.e. Remember the Titans), or it can become a complete crap fest (i.e. many horror movies and Pearl Harbor). In the account of the movie All Good Things, it did the unusual maneuver or hovering mainly in the middle to the positive side of these two opposites.
            All Good Things is inspired by the true events surrounding Robert Durst and the disappearance of his wife Kathleen McCormack. Of course in the movie all of the names of people have been changed. The film takes place between 1971 and 2003. The movie stars Ryan Gosling (The Notebook) as David Marks, the son of a powerful commercial real estate mogul in New York, who is not to keen on joining the family business. The film begins with David meeting working class Katie McCarthy who is played by Kirsten Dunst (Spiderman), with whom he falls in love with and marries.
           The two move to Vermont and open up a health food store in order to help David avoid joining the family business and his overbearing father Sanford Marks, played by Frank Langella (Frost/Nixon). Eventually, David folds to his father's pressure and joins the real estate business as a part of his father's company.
           Though they are deep in love, much still separates David and Katie as he is increasingly closed off, goes through constant mood swings, and has a strong will against having kids. Once they return to New York, Katie goes back to school, in turn making her more independent which causes David to become violent and controlling.
             Everything begins to come to a head when Katie goes missing. From here on out the mystery really begins as the skeletons in the Marks' family closet begin to slowly come out as police and others try to figure out what happened to Katie; and if David had something to do with it.
             I thought the acting by Gosling and Dunst in this movie was great and helped make this movie what it was. Their chemistry together was spot on as they had to transfer between being newly in love to complete emotional separation from each other. That goes without saying the portrayal of their individual characters was difficult enough, yet done quite well.
            I enjoyed this movie a lot as the mystery behind it all is quite compelling and the acting was good. My main problem with it was the fact that I don't think you ever get to really find out who David Marks is. There's so much mystery set behind this character with not enough answers given. I put the blame on that to the director partly, but also perhaps the fact because maybe the answers I was looking for aren't known due to some of these events the movie is based on; and that I found frustrating.
           Overall though, I found it entertaining and eye opening. I give this movie a thumbs up and 3 out of 4 stars. All Good Things is available for instant streaming or by mail via Netflix and is also available at Redbox. Enjoy!

Look forward to my next review which will be on the comedy Little Fockers, starring Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro.