Neva Knew Love Like This - Crazy Stupid Love

3 1/2 out of 5 Popcorn Kernels

SEE THE TRAILER HERE

It is nice to walk into a movie without any expectations, and come out with a smile on one's face. This movie has a young heart, but I don't think will appeal to those with younger birthdays. It reminds me of a boxed puzzle set where all the pieces don't fit until the end, but excitement still builds with each part.

This movie falls somewhere between romantic and screwball comedy. It starts off fast and unforgiving like Bridesmaids, in setting the atmosphere of what we are about to encounter. In the beginning, Cal (Steve Carrell) is having dinner with his wife Emily (Julianne Moore), who after having a modestly nice dinner, want "to have a divorce" for dessert. Cal is shocked, and while on the drive home, as Emily feels the need to confess more of her litany of reasons for her decision, his only need to escape all the chatter, is to open the door of the car and exit himself upon the moving pavement.


This is our first couple saga.


As the couple come home, they meet their baby sitter, 17 year old Jessica (Analeign Tipton), who we discover has an infatuation with Cal - and then there is Cal's 13 year old son Robbie (Jonah Bobo) - who has an infatuation with Jessica.


This is our second couple saga.


Cal drowns his divorce blues at a bar, where we meet a modern-day womanizer, Jacob (Ryan Gosling), who offers to help Carl drown his sorrows in the lesson of How To Get A Different Kind of Cocktail, namely women, and his lessons begin to work, especially with his first time out with Kate (Marisa Tomei) playing a most neurotic partner...until Jacob begins to find a woman who is immune to his come-on, Hannah (Emma Stone), and starts to chase her.


This is our third couple saga.

Lounge Lizardy 101

As you may guess this turns out to be an ensemble piece, and parts of it are very adult, as in Cal and Emily's relationship. We can tell they have had a long marriage, love each other, but want something more that the marriage isn't providing - or has been grayed out in the long term. And then there is the craziness of the young infatuations, that go well into comedy. No one breaks dishes, no knives are thrown, no revenge is taken, no one gets kicked below the belt...they all understand that love come, love goes, and some love lasts forever.


What makes Stupid Crazy Love unique is the way these love interests escalates to include a puzzle that eventually involves the whole cast of characters, and arrive at a most surprising ending. It will seem a little stupid, and make you a little crazy, but you will fall in love with these folk all the same.