CRAZY STUPID LOVE. REVIEW

"Crazy, Stupid, Love" is a charming romantic comedy about kind people. Consider that. There is no snark. There is no raunch. It has a lot of cynicism, but it's only there to be corrected. Nobody here wishes anyone ill, and the film is overwhelmingly in favor of marriage. Yes, the characters commit adultery, but they quickly realize that they were mistaken.

The actors are responsible for a large portion of the film's appeal. Steve Carell is becoming more appealing to me. Emma Stone is a lovely lady. Julianne Moore's character appears cold and distant, but this is just a phase. A teen couple is adorable. Marisa Tomei bursts into the film like a tornado of warm comic energy. All that woman has to do is smile for me to appear.

The film begins with a shocking revelation. Cal (Steve Carell) inquires of his wife Emily (Julianne Moore) about her dessert preferences. "A divorce," she explains. Cal, who has become complacent in his marriage, is taken aback. So are his children, particularly Robbie (Jonah Bobo), 13, who has a crush on Jessica (Analeigh Tipton), his 17-year-old babysitter.

Cal seeks solace in an upscale cocktail lounge with an unusual variety of babes and notices the smooth moves of a ladykiller named Jacob (Ryan Gosling). This guy appears to leave with the woman of his choice every night. Jacob notices Cal's depressed demeanor at the bar, overhears his bitter monologues, and insists on tipping him.This leads to lectures on pickup techniques and one of those makeover montages in which Cal acquires correct shoes, shirts, suits and a haircut.

So, OK. We have two generations looking for love success. Robbie does a charming job of desiring Jessica, who has set her sights a little higher. Meanwhile, Cal uses Jacob's advice to score big with Kate (Marisa Tomei), an energetic, recovering alcoholic who is a sexual virtuoso. Then something unexpected happens: Jacob meets the lovely Hannah (Emma Stone) in a bar one night and does something he never thought he was capable of. He is smitten.

The film's strength, despite its formulaic structure, is that it is slightly more thoughtful about its characters. It's not deep, but it sees their problems as more than just fodder for comedy. It allows them to express genuine emotions, even those that surprise them, and it allows them to grow. At the end, after connecting as many strands as possible, I felt an undeniable sense of accomplishment.