"Crazy, Stupid, Love"

Late this afternoon, my wife and I ventured over to the Palisades Mall in West Nyack, New York to catch a showing of "Crazy, Stupid, Love." The film, a Warner Bros. Picture, which opened last weekend, stars Steve Carell, Julianne Moore, Ryan Gosling, and Emma Stone, with smaller roles for Marisa Tomei and Kevin Bacon. (See a trailer at www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3722091801.)

The movie focuses on the travails of a man, Steve Carell, trying to cope with a world which has been turned upside down when his wife blurts out at a dinner table at a restaurant that she wants a divorce. Ryan Gosling, a successful player with women at the singles' bar scene, takes pity on Steve Carell and mentors him in his efforts to meet new women. In his bewildered state, Steve Carell's character attempts to maintain his loving relationship with his young children.

While the film had many comic moments, I thought that it provided many serious, thought-provoking scenes as well. Issues such as the effects of divorce upon the children of the marriage and the reasons for the deterioration of a seemingly loving relationship of long duration present ample food for thought. I have enjoyed the work of Julianne Moore, but I felt that her talents were somewhat wasted in this film; her character is certainly not very well developed. The more substantial roles are reserved for Steve Carell and Ryan Gosling, and they do fine work indeed. It is a shame that Marisa Tomei and Kevin Bacon are relegated to relatively brief screen time. Overall, though, I would highly recommend this movie.