Crazy, Stupid, Love. (2011)

With the exception of Little Miss Sunshine, I think it's safe to say Steve Carrell's film career hasn't really been setting the world on fire since The 40 Year Old Virgin. I know a lot of people liked Dan in Real Life but it really didn't do much for me. I haven't seen much of his other films, but I have watched him on The Office for several years, and I enjoy the man's work. He just seemed to flounder for a while on the big screen. Which is why I'm happy to say that Crazy, Stupid, Love may be his best movie to date. Yes, even better than 40 Year Old Virgin, in a way.

Steve Carrell plays a man who, in the opening scene, is told by his wife (Julianne Moore) that she wants a divorce. Instead of fighting for his marriage or even wondering why, he just kind of silently accepts it and doesn't really object. He does, however, jump out of a moving car.

He soon finds himself spending his evenings at a bar, talking to anyone who will listen about his wife and the man who came between them (Kevin Bacon). This bar happens to be frequented by a man who has the solutions to his problems. Ryan Gosling plays a ladies man of the highest order. A man who can talk any woman home with him (well, almost any woman, with the exception of Emma Stone, but more on that later).

Soon he's being trained by Gosling, Karate Kid style, to take back his life and take charge of his love life. Gosling helps him change his wardrobe and overall appearance and demeanor. He helps him change his pick up methods. He gives him his life back. But soon Carrell realizes that maybe the only place he wants to really be is back home, with his wife and kids.

There are some other subplots in the movie that are seemingly semi-unrelated, other than the fact that they focus on love and relationships. Emma Stone is a young lawyer who is about to pass the bar, and she is fully expecting that her boyfriend (Josh Groban?!) is going to propose to her at her celebration dinner. Meanwhile, Steve Carrell's 13 year old son is madly in love with the family babysitter, who happens to be madly in love with Steve Carrell himself (unbeknownst to Carrell). All the while Julianne Moore continues to see the man who ruined her marriage (Kevin Bacon), and Ryan Gosling sleeps with as many women as possible, with the exception of Emma Stone, because she's the one girl who didn't fall for his suave act.

And somehow, it manages to fit together.

It's the kind of story that only happens in a romantic comedy, but this is one of the better ones. The story is solid and the actors really help drive it to above average territory. The cast really is spot on. Carrell, Gosling, Moore, Bacon, Marisa Tomei, Emma Stone, everyone brings their A-game. Even if something doesn't work, it's followed by a scene that does, so the movie keeps you fully entertained.

It's a banner year for Ryan Gosling. His character in this couldn't be any more different than Drive, and if you think back to Blue Valentine, it really helps you appreciate that the man can probably do anything. He can do romantic comedies (can Christian Bale do that? We've yet to see), critically praised dramas, and art house action flicks. And he excels at all of them. If he isn't on the A-list yet, he's getting pretty damn close.

RATING: 3.5/5