Review: Crazy, Stupid, Love

Director: Glenn Ficarra, John Requa
Release Date:  29 September 2011
Rating: (M)
Runtime:  118 mins

There are several defining features that point clearly to Crazy, Stupid, Love being anything but stock-standard. Female we may be, but our loathing for traditional rom-coms runs deep.  First and foremost, the end product benefits immeasurably from its high concept beginnings and a tautly plotted, emotionally complex script from Dan Fogelman, who recently penned Tangled (2011). 

Gosling and Carell have a Godfather: Project Runway edition moment.

  
In what is undoubtedly his best role since Dan in Real Life, Steve Carell's 40-something Cal Weaver has lost his man-grapes: his kahunas, if you will. His wife, Emily (Julianne Moore), is in the grips of a mid-life crisis and and asks him for a divorce, after cheating on him with a work colleague. The friendship Cal forms with Jacob (Ryan Gosling) as he uncertainly claws his way into the dating world (after exiting it promptly at the age of 15) will make you cringe, laugh, and at times, tear up a little. Gosling plays it camp in showing Cal the ropes, but not to the point of disbelief. Steve Carell extends his repertoire, making Cal as accessible, warm, and real as he is lonely and a tad pathetic. 

Seriously though, what an absolute cracker of a year for Ryan Gosling; early reports on both Drive and The Ides of March are stellar, and his turn as Jacob, womaniser-with-a-heart-of-gold in Crazy, Stupid, Love has with certainty earned him that well-deserved hat trick. It's his Pretty Woman, if you will. His initial attraction to downright goofy (but obviously smokin') Hannah (Emma Stone) really burns up the screen: he can't quite believe it, but she's a set apart from any other girl. 

A walk in the moonlight with the Bacon is all anyone could ask for, right?

The high-calibre ensemble cast, including Kevin Bacon as Emily's maybe love interest, David Lindhagen; Marisa Tomei as primary-school teacher and seductress Kate (it's her high heel you see in the promo poster); Analeigh Tipton as the Weaver kids' babysitter Jess; and Jonah Bobo as Robbie Weaver, the strangest, sweetest 13-year-old boy to light up the silver screen this year. 

Jonah Bobo: off to meet E.T.

Audiences won't bawl like they might'a in Blue Valentine (2010)—another Gosling gem—but there's still enough of that genuine 'well fuck, I've really messed up' feeling to resonate clearly with audiences of all ages. Seeing Crazy, Stupid, Love on a big screen doesn't add all that much visually, but it definitely doesn't hurt seeing a 20-foot-tall version of Ryan Gosling's abs or Steve Carell windmilling.

****

Review — X-Men: First Class

Fassbender doing a nice loom as the young Magneto.

What a superb difference an origin story makes to this series. When we had grown tired of Halle Berry's eyes clouding over and James Marsden requiring protective eyewear 24/7, X-Men: First Class takes you back down memory lane to the swinging 60s and the beginnings of Professor X (at the time, simply Charles Xavier, and played by James McAvoy), Magneto (at the time, Erik Lehnsherr, played by the in-demand Michael Fassbender) and Co., before the factions split and shit got real. 

The beginnings of the life of one Erik Lehnsherr provide a powerful opening to a film that isn't as Hollywood as you might suspect. A troubled child in World War II Germany, ripped apart from his family as they're sent off to a death camp, the young Magneto discovers a power within himself to will objects (but particularly metal) to do his bidding. His abominable treatment as a post-War lab rat and the cold-blooded murder he's left in the shadow of create an unwavering lust for revenge, his thoughts impenetrable until he meets Charles many years later.

One of the most pleasing elements of this film, which presents us with an alternate history that ties in with the 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion, is the willingness to deal with the emotional truths that lead each of the characters to their forms in X-Men (2000), or not (some don't appear in X-Men at all).

Most surprising to those who haven't read the comics may be the friendship between Charles and Raven/Mystique (played in a very naturalistic way by Winter's Bone star Jennifer Lawrence), who first meet as children; however, her DNA and ability to change her appearance mean she continues to look far younger than her best friend. We meet the duo again in Oxford, Charles is teaching and she, masquerading as his sister. His cheesy pick-up lines allowed us a guffaw or two and it's apparent that the writers and cast are both here for a rollicking good time.

However, the film does have a few minor flaws. The pacing, whip-fast for the most part, seems to overuse titles to orient the story and tell the audience where the hell they are, even though most of the settings are fairly obvious (who doesn't know what some of the famous momuments in Washington, DC look like?). Sebastian Shaw's multilingual ability (there were at least four) tiptoe towards the edge of unlikely scenarios, although Kevin Bacon is most evil as Sebastian Shaw; Emma Frost (January Jones) appears to have forgotten her clothing in most every scene. Crikey, if that's what people meant about this having similarities to a Bond film, then sure. 

All jokes aside, Fassbender and McAvoy have a strong screen chemistry, which works best when Xavier's kind, gentle nature prevails to bring out the best in his friend. The big action set pieces are well executed (if not heart in your throat spectacular) and Vaughn and Co. have overall delivered an entertaining, well constructed film packed with solid performances from a mixed lolly bag of seasoned actors and newcomers. Tasty.

X-Men: First Class is a definite return to form for the series and can sit comfortably on Director Matthew Vaughn's shelf of otherwise worthy accomplishments in the geek genre: Stardust and Kick-Ass—the same applies for his co-writer on all three of the most recent projects, Jane Goldman. We think we'll use Professor X and Magneto to demonstrate how we felt about the film on the whole.

"Pip pip, old chap." "Yes, bloody well done."

***1/2