Review #1-Crazy, Stupid Love

At the moment I’m sick of rom-coms. Most of the DVD’s on my shelf are rom-coms; you name it and I’ve probably seen it and they are beginning to get boring. The plot is always the same, they are littered with clichés and the characters tend to be rather transparent. So I’m always on the look out for fresh interesting romantic comedies that break the rules and aren’t quite as predictable, and that's how ‘Crazy Stupid Love’ caught my eye.

   I’m not going to lie and say that this film threw the rule book out the window, that it was spectacular and cliché free, but it was funny, surprising at times and true to real life emotions. So something that was refreshing to see was a strong use of body language in this film. The opening scene shows various low angle shots of couples’ feet, all of them tentatively shuffling closer or caressing each other. Suddenly we see our main characters feet: A pair of trainers and a pair of heels, both straight, rigid and miles apart. Usually I would expect the first scene to show me the couple storming home after a disastrous night out, airing all the problems that have been slowly accumulating over the years. This scene would probably have lasted five to ten minutes and bored me to death, instead thirty seconds, no dialogue just feet, told me everything I needed to know about this couples relationship. Of course as the film develops we learn the intricate details of the marriages break down but it is never thrown in our faces.

   In fact the couple, Cal (Steve Carell) and Emily’s (Julianne Moore) marriage breaks down for two very simple-but very real-reasons, firstly they stopped trying and this lead to the second reason: Emily slept with another man. So after all the struggles they have endured one particular scene seemed very intimate although others may describe it as tedious, I enjoyed the subtle use of body language. Emily speaks on the phone to Cal about a household problem not realising that Cal can see her and therefore knows that it was not the real reason she called. What is written between the lines says so much about how much they miss each other but how hard it is to find a way to get back together. It sums up just how hard and complicated love is, and how easy it is to hide your true feelings.

Of course not everything is so subtle and as a rom-com, clichés are to be expected. Thankfully however the characters are just as aware of them as the audience is. At one point both Joey and I sighed at the sudden down pour of rain that started immediately after an argument scene, but to our surprise Cal agreed saying “well this is a cliché”. Others unfortunately were not so well used and although the ending (full of the stereotypical public declarations of everlasting love) was amusing, it could have better.

   A disappointing aspect of the film was perhaps its length. When it began I was impressed that the film was unfolding more slowly and gently than I expected the only problem was that it reached a point where the characters were all rather miserable and the film began to drag on a bit as they slowly figured out how to sort out their problems. However I advice you stick with it because you will be rewarded in the end with one of the most hilarious, if slightly slapstick, scenes of the film. A lot of loose ends were tied together to make a spectacular punch line that neither I or Joey saw coming (although if you paid close attention you are likely to be able to predict it I would recommend you don’t as it takes all the fun away). Unfortunately there was another low point before the end of the film where again it was a bit too slow.

When I first read the synopsis of the film I thought that it was a story about a divorcee who is taught how to be ‘cool’ by a stylish bachelor until he himself falls in love and the divorcee ends up being the one to give the advice; However it turned out not to be quite as simple as that. Jacob Palmer (Ryan Gosling) is indeed a stylish and charming bachelor (look out for the hilariously over done and self conscience shot of him eating in the mall) who gives Cal a much needed make-over but he does not necessarily seek out the advice of Cal when he finally falls in love. He does however develop as a character, his shallow actions in love are reflected in his two dimensional character until the fateful night that a sopping wet Hannah (Emma Stone) storms in and demands him to be in her life and suddenly he is given the opportunity for the first time to reveal his true character both to Hannah and to the audience.

Indeed the sub-plots and exploration of the many different types of love, from those with age barriers to those longing for what they cannot have, only strengthen the film and add a depth to it that other rom-coms are often lacking. The trailers have not really advertised these other characters and their own complicated love lives and I think that is a shame. Each was just as honest and funny as the main characters dilemmas.

  Over all I was very impressed with ‘Crazy, Stupid Love’. I went into the cinema with good expectations and they were certainly met if not exceeded. Both Joey and I laughed from start to finish, the acting was excellent and the body language of the characters really drew you into their emotional journeys, and the self-conscience use of clichés made it more bearable than most rom-coms. The cinema-addicts rate this film as a 4 star with one missing simply because of the slow pace towards the end. Thoroughly recommend this film.