B&R at the Movies
B&R at the Movies
Episode 166. Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011)
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On this episode of B&R at the Movies podcast, Berry and Robin dive into the 2011 romantic comedy Crazy, Stupid, Love. This sprawling love story intertwines each character who's decisions impact more than they thought. This fresh look at the dating life is written by Dan Fogelman and is directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa. It stars Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore, Emma Stone, Jonah Bobo, Marisa Tomei, John Carroll Lynch, Kevin Bacon, and Liza Lapira.
Alright, everybody. Welcome back for another episode of B and R at the Movies Podcast. I am Barry. And I'm Robin. Alright. So this week was your choice of film. Yes. So I'll let you go and take us away on this one.
SPEAKER_01Okay. So we're gonna watch Crazy Stupid Love. Yes. Just because you have never seen it. Correct, I've never seen it. And I'm a big fan of Steve Carell. You're not as big a fan of Steve Carell. I understand that.
SPEAKER_00It's hit or miss, I would say, with Steve Carrell.
SPEAKER_01It is it what came out in 2011, so a while ago.
SPEAKER_00It's been out for a bit.
SPEAKER_01But the one thing is the cast. Absolutely huge. So here's the list Steve Carell, Julianne Moore, Kevin Bacon, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Marissa Tomey, Lelo Tipton, which you m I did not even remember her name, but she was in Warm Bodies. Oh, okay.
SPEAKER_00Okay.
SPEAKER_01And Josh Groben.
SPEAKER_00Okay.
SPEAKER_01And this was like his first movie that he ever was part of.
SPEAKER_00Oh, interesting. Okay.
SPEAKER_01So it's got I mean it's a huge cast. Um, but yeah, I'm really interested because I think parts of this movie are really, really good, and other parts I'm thinking you're gonna have like issues with. So, you know, make some note, make some mental notes, you know, about what you want to talk about. Okay. Because I personally I think it's kind of fun to watch. I mean, you know, it's a rom-com all the way. Yeah. All the way. Um, but um, but I think it has some some good moments in it, and uh, yeah.
SPEAKER_00So well, it obviously it's a film that's been around for for a while, and I've and I've seen some clips from You saw the fight scene. I saw the fight scene.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, everybody's seen that fight scene, but you gotta wait, because that's not that's not till almost the end. So there you go.
SPEAKER_00And that and it's a pretty hilarious fight, and so it is, it's it's really good, it's quite good. But yeah, it's one that you know it's just I've I've always known it's there, and then it's just you know, I just never picked up. So and you know, this is the perfect time for us to be able to do that. I think so.
SPEAKER_01Just watch it, and it's a nice, it's an easy movie. Um but I think the acting is pretty good, but I'd like to hear about that from you too. Like what you think. So yeah.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and it like you said, I mean, the such a top-notch cast of like everything that they've all they've all been in, and I know they've done other projects and stuff, like some of them together and stuff.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, especially like Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone.
SPEAKER_00And Emma Stone, yeah, you know, that sort of thing.
SPEAKER_01So yeah, but yeah.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Yeah. That that's why that's why I was thinking. I'm like, I'm like, oh yeah, this is like the prequel to La La Land. You know, it's like it's like this is the lead-in. I think this is better.
SPEAKER_01Uh sorry, I I couldn't I couldn't get into La La Land. So it's I I didn't make it. It's the musical part of it that just like no, I'm I'm sure it's good, it's got good scenes. I just couldn't watch it. So I do like them together. I do think they have like decent chemistry together, and I think it's pretty good. And um the Ryan Gosling character is uh is really interesting. So hopefully we get to talk a lot about that and we'll see how you think about that.
SPEAKER_00So all right, sounds good. Yeah, all right. Well, we're gonna go ahead and dive in. And is it crazy stupid love? Okay, I want to make sure I had the right order.
SPEAKER_01You got it.
SPEAKER_00All right, so we're gonna dive in and watch crazy stupid love, and then we will come back a little bit to talk about it. Okay. All right, we will be back in a little while. Alright, everybody, welcome back. We just got done watching Crazy Stupid Love. Yes. And since this was my first time watching it, I will take us away on this one. Please do.
SPEAKER_01I heard you laughing, so hopefully some positive.
SPEAKER_00Oh, yeah, there was a lot of positive. No, it was really good. Um it I enjoyed it a lot more than I I assumed I would have. Good. Um, so it because it is even though it is technically like a romantic comedy, but it really is just a good comedy. Um, and I liked uh Steve Carell and Ryan Gosling together. And I was like, I thought that was they were I thought they played off each other pretty well. Weren't they good?
SPEAKER_01I know that was it was just so surprising how good they could play off each other. So that I I don't know. Yeah, I agree.
SPEAKER_00And since I had already seen the fight scene prior, I knew the twist of that it was his daughter, was the one who Ryan Ryan Gossman's character fell in love with. So I already so I yeah, would have been nice, you know, if I hadn't seen that before and just kind of gone into it blind with that. Um but it was still good. Um it's uh it's kind of funny where it's like you like uh even smaller roles like Kevin Bacon, where it's like he's only in for I think like a like total of like maybe four scenes, maybe.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00And uh great. Same with Marissa Tomei, where it's like she's got such a such a small part, but she just she's a little spitfire for it.
SPEAKER_01And it's like good casting, yeah, yeah, definitely, definitely good casting.
SPEAKER_00Um so yeah, and I like I like the rhythm of it, I like the story of it. Um of course I like it when it's you know all the characters end up ram ramming into each other and then you know chaos ensues and stuff like that. So that's always that's always fun. Yeah. Um, but yeah, um, but really uh I I did like Steve Carell in this. I thought he did a really good job. Um and it was kind of funny because afterwards we got done watching it on HBO and then they had the ad for the next film, which was another Steve Carell film, which was the 40-year-old virgin, which is the film I don't enjoy him in. So it's kind of funny that's good.
SPEAKER_01At least you did enjoy him in there.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so it's kind of funny where it's like, oh, I went from one I I I liked him to one that I didn't really care for. Uh-huh. Um, but um it was really but it was really good. Um it had a lot of heart to it. Um so I liked I like that a lot where you it's a romantic comedy, but you've gotta have good good material, you gotta have good stuff behind it, and you have to care about these characters, you have to care what happens to it. And for this one, I you generally do. You you you genuinely want these uh these people to be happy and actually um you know you know fulfill their lives and actually, you know, end up with each other. And um it's still creepy though with the the little boy where it's like uh yeah, it's it's one of those it's like I I understand like you they're doing the different stages of of love and in relationships and whatnot, and I get and I totally get it and I understand what they're doing, but they kind of made the little kids kind of stalkerish. Kind of isn't that middle school?
SPEAKER_01Because I mean middle school is a zoo anyway, so it's like it's all mixed up, right?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and you you don't really fully understand what you're doing, you just do things, yeah.
SPEAKER_01You just feel everything, right? You know, yeah.
SPEAKER_00So I get yeah, so I get that. Yeah. Um, but it was yeah, some of those things were just like, all right, yeah, if you were a little bit older, you'd probably be arrested by now. So it's like, but you know, it's like, oh, you're 13. Ah, it's fine, it's fine.
SPEAKER_01Stupid, that's all.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, no, so it was a little it's a little awkward. Um and uh, but no, it um I thought all the characters were definitely well defined, and I thought they were really good. Um and uh uh for Julia Moore, I thought she did fantastic. Yeah, I I she's I I've seen her in so many things where it's like she she fully just melts into those characters. And I I love that. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Well, I think what I was surprised with her is her her uh comedic timing. Yeah, she knows where the joke is.
SPEAKER_00Absolutely.
SPEAKER_01I mean, she knows how to do it, and it's like, wait a minute, I have not seen her in enough comedies. Yeah, I've seen her in a lot of series.
SPEAKER_00She does a lot of like hib like not only dramas, but she goes for like hib and hibs. And I I've seen her in those and she's great.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, but it's just nice to see her in and no, she can do comedy, she's got the timing, absolutely.
SPEAKER_00And it always seems I've I've I've heard uh actors always say that, you know, that sometimes comedy is actually harder than drama because that's what they've said. Because, you know, you're they're used to being, you know, actors and very serious and doing the very serious work. You know, but to have good comedic timing is that's that's tough. Yeah, either you have it or you don't. Right.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and it's and it's I thought when I first watched this, I was really surprised that, oh wow, she can really hold her own with like Steve Corell, who Yeah, you know.
SPEAKER_00It's like, yeah, you know, you got these, you know, they got the banter going between them and stuff, and it's like, yeah, and she's yeah, she's definitely holding her own during it.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and it's uh it is kind of like I guess uh I kind of almost believe them as being like a couple because their tone matched each other no matter what because it could be a little higher, a little lower, but the way they would talk, it was like they really understood each other and they were kind of matching each other's tones. And uh I just thought that was just like that's very believable.
SPEAKER_00That's it and especially like the when they had like their shorthand between each other, where it's like, yeah, if you've been married for over 20 years, yeah, you're gonna develop a shorthand with with your partner where it's like, yeah, you're you're not really gonna speak in almost full sentences because you almost like cut each other off a little bit.
SPEAKER_01Right. And and and it's almost like anything they say, you understand it.
SPEAKER_00Right.
SPEAKER_01And uh and a lot of that, you know, I I liked that. I like the rhythm. Uh and I guess part of it was the writing. I think the writing was very good.
SPEAKER_00I thought it was very good too. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01You know, so they have the good material to work with.
SPEAKER_00Right. There were a lot of uh kind of predictable kind of cliches a little bit. Um, for the film. Um probably the one that they they didn't do at the very end, which would have been them getting back together, you know. Which, you know, it was kind of implied, but it didn't really say that that's actually what happened. And there was no reason to go there. Right. Yeah. Because he they hit all the other ones. It's like they smashed those cliches very good. Um, but even like uh when the when the little boy starts walking, and then all I'm like, oh slow motion walk time. There we go. All right. Turn. Oh, she's gonna see him, she's gonna do the big smile. Okay, there we go. Yeah, you know, it's like we're hit, we're hitting all the marks, hitting all the marks. Um so but it it wasn't where because of that, it would didn't make the film not good.
SPEAKER_01No, there and I think with this film there is a little bit of a sweetness to it. A little bit, you know, and and that's kind of nice sometimes. You gotta be in the mood for it, I'm sure, for a lot of people. But but with this particular film, I think there's just a little bit of kindness, a little bit of sweetness to it that makes it pretty easy to to go along for the ride.
SPEAKER_00Just I I almost think like it could have been, you know, more Ryan and uh and Emma Stone of just like their characters and their dynamic their dynamics. But I understand that this this is well, I was gonna say an ensemble, but it's it's kind of just more of just the mirroring of of two two different stories that are going on together that over that have moments when they're overlapping.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Um but it does feel more it feels heavier weighted on the Steve Carell's story. Yeah, because it's mostly because it's yeah, and uh if there was a lead for this film, I would say probably would have been Steve. Steve, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Um and I did like Emma Stone in this film. I think she did, I mean, she is a great, I think she is a very good actress, and I like watching her work. So um, but yeah, I enjoyed her performance in this. I thought it was really good.
SPEAKER_00She's she's another one too, where it's uh she's got really good comedic timing. I've seen her in a lot. It's amazing where it's like I keep thinking, I'm like, I'm like, well, I guess I've seen her in a few fun things that are funny. I'm like, no, actually most of the stuff I've seen her in is actually comedic stuff. Yeah, it's it's got that element to it.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and I think and there's a little, you know, talk about timing. There is a thing where there's the pause. Yeah. You have to wait to whatever you're gonna do. And I I don't know. I she she definitely has it. And I I but I enjoy her work. I think it's really good.
SPEAKER_00You gotta you gotta give the joke time to breathe. And it's like it's gotta, it's gotta have a place to live. And it's like, and if you kind of condense that too much, then it doesn't it doesn't have the volume, it doesn't have the impact that it that it could have had. And I feel like she definitely she definitely has that. Yeah. Where she can where she can build up that timing really good. Um and I I've seen in other stuff like she's done like zombie land and stuff where it's like the same kind of thing where it's like it's there's a lot of jokes in it throughout, and you know, it's like she does really, really good in that too.
SPEAKER_01But yeah. Yeah, I think it was really good casting, so that that makes it fun.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and it's it and like I said, it's like it's it it kind of kind of goes a little cliche, but it's it's touching on themes and stuff that are universal, and it's stuff that you know people going through at different stages of their life that a lot of people go through, so it's not it it seems cliche because it's relatable to reality, so I guess it's kind of you know, it's not you know breaking the mold and it's not you know going anything crazy.
SPEAKER_01This is as good, you know. This isn't a mind-bending movie. This doesn't you know challenge you at all. Yeah, but it I think it's a kind of a fun ride.
SPEAKER_00It it is, it is a fun ride, and you know the fight scene is is absolutely ridiculous and so much fun.
SPEAKER_01That's why it went viral. Yeah, that's why that was why that's really ridiculous. But it is it is kind of fun to see the build-up to it, yeah. Uh, you know, and uh all that. So it's it it is it is kind of fun that way.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah, it definitely is. Yeah, it is it's kind of funny because like I didn't know um like the nan like when they were talking when they referred to their daughter as Nana.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00And of course, you know, I'm thinking like, okay, they're talking about like a grandmother.
SPEAKER_01Right, right. You know, and then it's like they're just trying to hold that back until they're rebuilt. Right, literally, yeah, it's like which isn't a huge you know, story changer kind of thing. It's just it's just a tiny little twist they wanted to put in there.
SPEAKER_00So yeah, which which was good. It was nice. But yeah, but yeah, I mean overall definitely, definitely a good film, definitely funny. Um you know, cinematography, everything is all all great. Cast, top notch, uh good writing. But yeah, so yeah, definitely. I mean it's it's definitely a good it's definitely a good fun ride. You know, like you said, like you know, you you can just kind of just kick back and just kind of let this ride just kind of take you along.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah, it's yeah. And I yeah, so I mean if someone's in the mood for something like this is a good choice. I think this is a very good choice for just an easy rom-com. Right. But it yeah, it's interesting, you know, it's put together very nicely.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and and I I I like this I like the especially the wardrobe stuff, uh, I I enjoyed where it's like because at first you see Steve Carell and he's uh it he's such a mess. And it's like even when he gets a little frumpy. Well, and then he goes to like even meet uh Ryan Gosson for the first time and he's wearing a polo that is like at least a size or two sizes too big for him. Yeah. And it's just like it's like an hourglass of just like clothing just like hanging off of him. Um but so I I liked I like that part a little bit. Um, it was really funny with like the montage of like different stuff they're doing together when they were like Oh, yeah, yeah, with the buying the clothes and when he opens his wallet. Yes, exactly. Yeah, and then he then he purposely turns to him and opens it and then where's your wallet? And it is one of and that's exactly what I was thinking, where it's like, yeah, that's that's definitely a sign of like, okay, you had that wallet a really long time. Yeah. Time for that thing to go.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it was yeah, I yeah, I enjoyed that very much too. And I like the montage with Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling. You know, I when they're I mean, they're not really on a date, but they're together, but it's fun because they're laughing and they're talking and they're you know, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and so that's you know, that I like that because it's you know, um that's that's her breaking the mold. That's him her breaking through to him to actually, you know, that's what makes her different from everybody else, right? Because they're not just they're not just sucking up. Um but we do know a funny story because we watched the Grad Norton show.
SPEAKER_01We do about Emma Stone. She can't be raised and she like freaked out when they first didn't had to put in the stunt double to do the dirty dancing thing.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so they had it where Emma gets lifted, lifted up in the air, and then in the you know, she gets like slowly lowered down, and then they're you know in an embrace, and in reality, she got lifted up and then freaked out, and and then she yeah, she uh because when she was younger, she fell, she broke both arms.
SPEAKER_01Yep, and then and then just being up in the air like that is just too much for her.
SPEAKER_00Brought it back to her, and then she couldn't do it. So it's kind of it's kind of funny that's kind of nice to know that little story. Yeah, a little bit. I just yeah, because I just I just saw that just uh Yeah.
SPEAKER_01I when you mentioned it earlier, I thought I wonder if that was one of the stories. Yeah, that was one of the stories. So now you know. There you go.
SPEAKER_00But yeah, it's it's uh it's definitely a cute story, and it's it's really good.
SPEAKER_01So well, good. I'm glad that you like this movie.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Um that you know pleases me because it it could I was wondering if maybe it was gonna be a little bit like you said, like too cliche, yeah, or maybe too slow paced or something like that. So I for your taste, because we have different tastes on movies.
SPEAKER_00I mean, and I I do in I do enjoy some romantic comedy films, and it's like I do own some, and it's like so if if they can keep my interest going, then it's like then it's okay. You know, and it's like but I've got to care about the characters. It's like if you don't make me care about the characters, then I'm like, I'm out.
SPEAKER_01And it's like well, and it's kind of nice because this is a big ensemble, and you really do care about each and every one of them.
SPEAKER_00Maybe not Kevin Bacon's character so much, and that's probably or Josh Grobin's. Oh yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01But but I love I but I like the friend of hers. Yes, she was great.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it's well and it's another one where I've seen her in other things. Have you?
SPEAKER_01I haven't I I haven't looked her up. I haven't I don't know if I've seen her in anything, but yeah, she has great timing, she's got very good comedic timing.
SPEAKER_00And another one where she's only in for a small handful of scenes, and then you know, she she fills out that scene.
SPEAKER_01She really does. Absolutely.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah. It was there was a lot of people in this and then the guy like the guy that Emma's character was gonna be marrying or thought that she was gonna marry, that she was with, and it was like, you know, he calls her banana. Yeah, and then it's like, oh, that's kind of annoying. Uh he calls her that, and then he does her just past the bar, you know, cake of a banana. Yeah, and I was thinking, I'm like, wow, that is banana.
SPEAKER_01That's not good.
SPEAKER_00That is so not good. No, no, yeah.
SPEAKER_01So it was but but he played the character well because yeah, that's what he was gonna be, and that's what he was. So there you go.
SPEAKER_00Exactly. Yeah, he nailed that, he nailed that character really well. Yeah, yeah, because we were just like, wow, we really don't care about this guy at all.
SPEAKER_01No, it's like and uh we were with a friend, like, yeah, why are you with him?
SPEAKER_00Exactly. Yeah, but yeah, but it was but it was yeah, like I said, it was every character is very, very well done. Um, you know, it was it was a good ride. So good, good, good.
SPEAKER_01Well, I'm glad that that makes me happy because this is one I was wanting you to watch. So there we go. Check that off with us.
SPEAKER_00Well, I was gonna I was gonna say it's it's always a feather of my cap I know when I pick one that you actually like. So it's like so I know that feeling.
SPEAKER_01It's like Yeah, just a little bit. It's like because you know, I'd like you to enjoy this film, but I never know because you can sometimes see it a little differently than I, where there's a little bit more to it that I kind of missed and that was not pleasant or something.
SPEAKER_00So but with comedies I tend to give it away because I'm usually the one that's over there laughing out. Yeah, you laugh out loud. So I yeah, I do an audible laugh, so it's like obviously I'm enjoying that at least that part of it.
SPEAKER_01So that's kind of that's kind of I was I was like, you know, clapping inside. Yeah, he's laughing.
SPEAKER_00All right, yeah, absolutely. Yeah, all right. Should we go and wrap this up?
SPEAKER_01I guess so.
SPEAKER_00All right, well, thank you everybody for listening. Make sure you guys go check out Crazy Stupid Love. And until next time, I'm Barry.
SPEAKER_01And I'm Robin.
SPEAKER_00And we will talk to you guys later.
