Great entertainment pokes fun at relationships

Rating: 7/10 (28 October 2014)

Crazy, Stupid Love is one very funny romantic comedy that pokes fun at the dating lifestyle and longtime marriages. Sub-plots involving teenage love and jilted lovers create a tangle of funny complications. While the plot is contrived, the entertainment kept me laughing. Julianne Moore, Steve Carrell, and Ryan Gosling delivered in their roles as well as Marisa Tomei and Kevin Bacon who get caught up in the family conflict. Steve Carell, as Cal, was the husband who reacted with the cold, silent treatment when his wife and lifelong love, Emily (Julianne Moore), asked for a divorce. He then embarked on a freewheeling lifestyle with advice from Jacob, self-proclaimed dating expert, played by Ryan Gosling. Marital problems lead to outside love interests that overlap families, neighbors and work associates. The middle of the movie sagged a bit but was redeemed by some very funny scenes. All in all, a family situation fraught with a maze of hilarious complications.