This one is really all over the place

Rating: 8/10 (5 August 2011)

Crazy, Stupid, Love has many good qualities to it, but is also really all over the place. Steve Carell stars in this comedy-drama as Cal, who has been married since he was 17. Julianne Moore plays his wife Emily. One night while Cal and Emily are out to dinner, they talk about what they want. Cal says that he wants a dessert, while Emily says that she wants a divorce. On the drive home, Emily confesses that she slept with another man. Cal becomes too heart broken to care.
Meanwhile, their son Robbie admits that he is in love with his babysitter Jessica. However, Jessica refuses to do anything about it other than to tell Robbie to stop.
While heart broken and moved away, Cal spends his nights going to a bar upset talking about how his wife cheated on him. This catches the attention of Jacob, a ladies man who knows how to pick up women, played by Ryan Gosling. Jacob takes Cal under his wing and teaches him to change his looks and style and what to say to women in the bar.
The film goes through so many crazy twists and turns that directors Glen Ficarra and John Requa can't focus on what parts to focus on and what parts to leave out in the story. While a lot of the twists and turns all come together in the final act, this one felt too much all over the place and couldn't decide if this is a comedy or a drama. The only real flaw to me in this film is the directing job.
The acting in this film is great. Steve Carell is a great leading actor and shows that he can carry a film and rocks at being the broken man who finds his way of getting his wife back. Ryan Gosling nails the role of the ladies man who takes the broken man how to move on, even though his game has been a bit lacking. Julianne Moore is great at being the fickle wife who wants a divorce, yet can't stand the guy who she is having an affair with. Marisa Tomei only has a few short scenes, but she rocks them all. Tomei's character Kate is a middle school teacher who Cal picks up in a bar. There is a funny twist about her. Kevin Bacon plays David, the man who Emily had an affair with. Bacon isn't given much to work with, but he does a good job. Emma Stone is also good as Hannah, an up and coming lawyer who Jacob finds himself crushing on.
The film is worth watching just for the acting alone. The cast ensemble carries the film through its flawed directing and decent screenplay.