Movie · 2011 · Comedy, Drama, Romance · 1h 58m · PG-13 · English
Curator score: 6.2/10 (1.9M ratings)
This is crazy. This is stupid. This is love.
Overview
Cal Weaver is living the American dream. He has a good job, a beautiful house, great children and a beautiful wife, named Emily. Cal's seemingly perfect life unravels, however, when he learns that Emily has been unfaithful and wants a divorce. Over 40 and suddenly single, Cal is adrift in the fickle world of dating. Enter, Jacob Palmer, a self-styled player who takes Cal under his wing and teaches him how to be a hit with the ladies.
Ratings
Curator score: 6.2/10
IMDb: 7.4/10
Letterboxd: 3.71/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 80%
Metacritic: 68
TMDB: 7.3/10
Director
Glenn Ficarra, John Requa
Production
Warner Bros. Pictures
Cast
Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore, Emma Stone, Lio Tipton, Jonah Bobo, Joey King, Marisa Tomei, Beth Littleford, John Carroll Lynch, Kevin Bacon, Liza Lapira, Josh Groban, Mekia Cox, Julianna Guill, Zayne Emory, Crystal Reed, Joanne Brooks, Reggie Lee, Caitlin Thompson
Where to watch
Max
Curator Review
Verdict
A sharp, crowd-pleasing romantic comedy with enough emotional bruising to keep it from feeling disposable. It balances midlife crisis, dating absurdity, and genuine chemistry with a few big comic set pieces that have stuck in pop-culture memory.
Best for
fans of ensemble romantic comedies
viewers who like dating-makeover stories
people who want a funny but sentimental breakup movie
audiences who enjoy charismatic star turns and high-energy banter
Skip if
you want a strictly realistic relationship drama
you dislike broad comedy or heightened rom-com plotting
you are uncomfortable with some awkward sexual humor and messy family dynamics
you want a quieter, more understated tone
Overview
Crazy, Stupid, Love. works because it treats heartbreak like a social disaster and a personal reset at the same time. The movie keeps shifting gears between wounded sincerity and polished comic chaos, and that tonal bounce gives it a lot of momentum.
Worth noting
Steve Carell grounds the film with believable midlife panic, while Ryan Gosling turns the seduction coach into a glossy, self-aware fantasy of confidence. The script is clever about how people perform identity in dating, and it finds real feeling inside the jokes without getting too precious.
Bottom line
It is also built around a handful of scenes that are genuinely memorable, from the barroom swagger to the big late-film convergence. Even when the movie leans into rom-com contrivance, it usually does so with enough wit and charm to earn the move.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Ellie ✨ (4★) · 32083 likes
i love the 'emma stone leaves a boring dude during dinner to go make out with ryan gosling' cinematic universe
kuryakinn (4★) · 28483 likes
that scene where everything comes together is a cinematic MASTERPIECE
samantha (4★) · 17682 likes
the dramatic shot of ryan gosling eating a giant slice of pizza with primal music playing in the background is the greatest piece of art i've ever witnessed
sophie (4★) · 14684 likes
5 stars for the famous fight scene which may be the best plot twist in all of cinema history, 1 star for when the teenage girl tries to give her nudes to steve carell but then gives them to his 13 year old son 😐
Jay (3.5★) · 13166 likes
bro stop saying “soul mate” youre scaring the hoes