Surprisingly good

Rating: 7/10 (22 July 2016)

Surprisingly good, especially for a romantic-comedy, as the bar is set very low in this genre. It's more the comedy than the romance that works though. Very funny, and at times a parody of rom-coms. Gets a bit silly and contrived at times but thankfully these moments don't last long. Ending is also a bit trite and unprofound, despite seeming to be heading for something big.
Great performances all round. Steve Carell does his usual nerdy guy- next-door thing, Ryan Gosling is perfectly cast as the smooth operator, Emma Stone is great as his love interest. Solid work from Julianne Moore and good support from Analeigh Tipton, Kevin Bacon, Marisa Tomei and Jonah Bobo.