Movie Review: Crazy, Stupid, Love

I enthusiastically and wholeheartedly recommend this movie. Unlike your typical summer blockbuster experience, your intelligence will not be insulted, your wallet will not feel violated, and your brain will not try to crawl out through your ears. Here's my review, also up on Rotten Tomatoes:

This movie is adorable. Everything worked: the actors, the screenplay, the soundtrack, the cinematography. I would watch it again.

Plot: A wife asks her husband for a divorce; their son is in love with their babysitter who is in love with someone else; cuckolded husband gets some tips on how to regain his manhood by a handsome young lounge lizard; hilarity and drama ensue.

Every single character in this film is sympathetic, even Kevin Bacon's pseudo-antagonist accountant. Kudos to Steve Carrell for his heartbreaking portrayal of a lost man; Emma Stone for her usual fine comedic performance; Julianne Moore for elevating the film's dramatic moments; and to Ryan Gosling's smooth interpretation of an utter cad.

The writing is excellent -- the plot twists came as a genuine surprise, and my cries of "OMG!" and "Nooooo!" were echoed by other viewers. The dialogue is believable, and whenever a cliche occurs, the characters are savvy enough to point it out. Liza Lapira, playing Emma Stone's best friend, gets some of the best lines in the movie. I think what most girls will remember is her gesturing wildly at a boring lawyer and at Emma Stone and wailing, "Look at you! If you end up with that, what will I get?"

The music existed to complement the scenes, rather than manipulate the audience. A song would come on and I'd think, "Hey...nice." It's all very sweet.

This movie should be seen. This acting should be appreciated. This writing should be praised. This soundtrack should be downloaded. You will be the opposite of crazy and stupid if you do so.