Act By Numbers

Consider me successfully fooled. I have no use for the current crop of disposable rom-coms, but all the evidence seemed to suggest that Crazy, Stupid, Love was different. Smarter. Plus, it contains Steve Carell, Julianne Moore, Emma Stone, and Ryan Gosling, all of whom I really like, so what could possibly go wrong?

Oh, I know! It could have a terrible, hackneyed script! No tired, recycled plot isn't chucked back up on screen. Drunk character getting out of hand in a bar? Check. Noted womanizer intrigued by the one woman who doesn't fall for his schtick? Check. Depressed person in the rain? Check. Stalking presented as cutesy romantic wooing? BIG check. Wacky physical confrontation? Check. Overheard message on an answering machine? Check. Heartless character tapping into their reserves of emotion? Check. Wacky hijinks? Check, check, check.

It's not the worst movie ever. The actors are affable, and hey, who doesn't want to stare at Ryan Gosling's abs for a while? It's just that nothing stands out. This movie was sold as a thinking man's/woman's romantic comedy, but this particular man thinks it was pretty mediocre.

Crazy, Stupid, Love: C