Crazy, stupid, love

Crazy, Stupid, Love: At first glance, one might conclude that this is a movie about divorce and the tremendous pain to individuals, family, and the community at large that it causes. A deeper inspection, however, reveals that the movie is about romantic love: how we lose it, how we find it, how we fight for it.

Romantic comedies are almost always told through the female perspective, but this movie flips the genre on its head, and we see romance from male eyes. It's quite refreshing, for in it, we see that the ways males approach romantic love are just as crazy, just as stupid, just as irrational as females. The journey to that romantic love brings males to the edges of insanity. What we find in the end, is that through our "wildly unhappy" times, we will find what we are looking for in our soulmate, who, one can only conclude, is a reflection of our own soul.

Men are melancholy beings, and in our melancholy, we become lonely, and in our loneliness, we find unsuitable pleasures that distract us from our loneliness, but do little from making us less lonely. The cure for our loneliness? The theme of the movie? Basically, that romantic love is life's ultimate telos and until we capture it, we will remain restless and yearning. Whether you agree with that philosophy is a matter of debate, but this movie, through a technique that borrows from Greek tragedy (the fall of a flawed character), 19th century Russian literature (emphasis on the character rather than the action and looking seriously at the human condition without being afraid to poke fun at it), and 1980's American sitcoms (a connective, universal conclusion), does a fine job of arguing its point.

My biggest criticisms of the movie are the casting of the males. I don't like Steve Carell as an actor. I cannot get his defining career scene: caught up in a bout of glossolalia in a television studio. He's a worthy slap-stick comedian, but it's hard to see him as anything but that, no matter how hard he tries to break that image. Ryan Gosling isn't very impressive either. I don't think he's handsome enough to pull off the playboy image. The women, on the other hand, even in their roles as support, are perfect. Julianne Moore is a fantastic actress who can play almost any character. Emma Stone, who isn't nearly as attractive as some say, gives another outstanding, if sarcastic, performance. I hope she will expand her repertoire because she has much more to offer. 8/10

U mad?

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U mad?

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As much as my e-personality can be, yes. Admitting that makes me die a little inside. He's the dalai lama of annoying right now. I congratulate him for being able to get under skin.

You obviously do not like me, and because of your animosity toward me, I'm sure no amount of knowledge of this film could convince you that I saw it. Quiz me if you'd like.

i haven't seen it so thus a quick trivia sesh is out of the question

just go ahead an take a picture of your ticket stub and post it. Nola area theater should be indicated on said ticket. TIA.

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You obviously do not like me

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false. i don't hold negative personal opinions about internet folk.

your posts just annoy me from time to time.

Thanks It really is a remarkable film. It starts with about as much promise as Gigli, but builds and builds. The character development and final depth of character surpasses that of the bilocular King's Speech. Wade through the first half hour for an hour and a half of some great storytelling.

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TulaneLSU

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you come off as a very difficult person to deal with and you try to hard.

Demanding my movie ticket is just further evidence of your irrational malice toward me. I threw it away, but I did screen grab my stub from my Stubs online account:



Notice the date and time of my review

I'm sure this will not be enough evidence either. Here's a suggestion since it appears nothing I do will ever make you happy: stop reading my posts.

Have you seen the film? If you haven't you should reserve judgment. It's one of the most profound films of masculine introspection in the last decade, maybe the most since A River Runs Through It.

no. i've never seen Crossroads with Britney Spears either. but i can form a general opinion about that.

i'll go see C S L soon and report back though. if you are right i'll have no problem admitting it.