Crazy, Stupid, Love.

The title is a bit misleading as this is a pure dramedy at its core. There is no craziness, no stupidity, just a whole mess of misguided love. That doesn't diminish the heart of this well-cast film, which centers around Steve Carell and Julianne Moore and their flailing marriage. Supporting them are Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, but the true shining light of the film is Jonah Bobo, the 13 year old son who has wisdom beyond his age and makes the family drama a bit more palatable.

The couple split, and go on with their separate lives; Moore with her affair and loveless life, and Carell, trying to move on by learning how the dating game is mastered by a brilliant Gosling. The two strike up an entirely unlikely, but somewhat endearing friendship, and Carell becomes the Pretty Woman of the suburban cul de sac. He learns about slim fitting jeans, layering, and pays more than $10 for his haircut. The beauty of the transformation is that he is the same character throughout the entire movie. Even when he is successfully picking up women in a cringe-inspiring verisimilitude of truisms, he remains the likable family man who just wants to be back with his wife.

There is a relevancy to this story that strikes a chord with any audience, be it the 13 year old boy with the most brazen teenage crush of all time on his babysitter, the babysitter with her own crush, the young woman with the heartbreaking conservative outlook, the pick-up artist, the man whose heart has been shattered, or the woman who cheated. Each member of the ensemble cast comes together in an exceptionally well-done climax that balances the gravity and levity perfectly.

Each piece of the story comes to a satisfying conclusion separately, but also in a realistic crescendo that makes you walk away both appreciating the story, but also doing some self-reflection. It's a nice feeling.

Ryan Gosling is one of the best actors out there. With two more movies coming out this year, his name will once again find itself in the pantheon of greatness discussion. He plays the philanderer with such confidence and swagger, that once his tough exterior shell is broken, you are genuinely concerned about his character. This is a rare transformation in two hours.

Steve Carell has tremendous range. The more dramatic side was briefly shown in Dan in Real Life, but he bares his real emotion while maintaining his comic timing. He has serious potential to move from comedy to serious in the way that Jim Carrey did, and how Will Ferrell is attempting. He has a disarming charm and an everyman quality that just makes you want to root for him.

The rest of the cast does fine, including a nice little appearance by Kevin Bacon (I think the game is getting too easy at this point. We need a new person). As stated earlier though, Jonah Bobo gets the award for the glue of the movie. He holds everything together, even though his screen time is limited. Truly a profound character for a delightful movie. Entertainment Weekly called this the best movie of the year for adults, and I would consider it, as there haven't been any great movies this year that weren't superheroes or comedies (sorry Harry Potter).

Directed by the team of Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, and written by Dan Fogelman, it is really a collaboration of a 3-headed monster. They all have extensive writing experience, Fogelman mostly with Pixar films, and the director team with Bad Santa and some recent kids movies. They work together beautifully, crafting a character-driven piece that just hits the audience. Collaboration teams are a rare thing in directing, but it has become the norm in writing. We may see a shift over the next few years where the emphasis is on the quality of the film, and not a spotlight on the director. Here's hoping...

See this with an open mind. It is neither a comedy or a drama, but just a well-done film. Great acting, sharp writing, and pleasing outcome. 9/10.