The Film
Steve Carell has had some real highs and lows in his relatively short film career. When word came that he was leaving his successful sitcom gig, his follow-up Dinner for Schmucks seemed sort of fitting.
Thankfully, Carell's first post-Office outing was the 2011 rom-com Crazy, Stupid, Love. Before you roll your eyes at the concept of another rom-com, know that this is something a little special. Carell plays Cal Weaver, a forty-something guy that gets thrust into the single life after his wife (Julianne Moore) announces her midlife crisis and her affair. While pretty much everyone ignores his pain, he receives pity and a few lessons about the ladies from the smooth talking Jacob Palmer (Ryan Gosling).
However, that's really just half of the story -- or even a third. Jacob has his own thing going on with Hannah (Emma Stone), the one woman that could get him to drop his womanizing ways. There's also a sub-plot involving Cal's son Robbie (Jonah Bobo) and the Weaver family babysitter (Analeigh Tipton).
So really, it's not just one love story, but this rom-com runs the family gamut. Like most rom-coms, some of the outcome is kind of predictable. However, Crazy, Stupid, Love does throw in a few curveballs and has a completely entertaining cast to elevate the film to a more entertaining level.
Want to get crazy with this romantic comedy? Check out David Kempler's theatrical review of Crazy, Stupid, Love.
The Picture
Like the movie itself, the image on Crazy, Stupid, Love isn't breaking any molds. That said, it's a very enjoyable experience. This image has a real film-like quality to it, and the 2.40:1 transfer delivers the goods with a nice, varied color palette. Without a doubt, the image's biggest standout is all of the skintones that are going on. Every character in the movie has a distinct tone, and each one looks wonderful here. Black levels are also very bold and there's a great contrast throughout the movie. One minute, we're in a club, the next we're outdoors, and it all flows nicely. The one disappointment lies in some of the detail. I was expecting a little more from the fair, freckled skin of both Julianne Moore and Emma Stone. That said, this release still manages to squeeze in some decent details. No one is going to be wowed, but you certainly won't be disappointed.
The Sound
The audio on Crazy, Stupid, Love is a perfect match for the image. Basically, this DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track isn't going to set the AV world on fire. However, it's certainly no slouch. The dialogue is certainly the main focus here, which it delivers quite well. The surrounds do get plenty of use -- probably more than on a lot of rom-com releases. It's not too in-your-face, but adds just the right amount of ambience. As mentioned before, it's an enjoyable viewing experience from every angle.
The Extras
The one thing that this release is really lacking is extras. There are three, and for the most part, they are standard fare. It includes deleted scenes and a 6-minute promo piece. The one worthy featurette is "Steve and Ryan Walk into a Bar." It's sort of cute to see Carell and Gosling ramble through this short. However, half of its miniscule 6.5-minute runtime is spent showing clips from the film.
It should also be noted that this title is one of the new UltraViolet Blu-ray releases. Redeem the included code on UltraViolet Flixster website, and you can download a copy of the film to your computer, as well as have it available in the UltraViolet cloud for streaming to any computer, smartphone or tablet. It's sort of like a Digital Copy, but allows you to access the film from more devices.
Final Thoughts
Although Crazy, Stupid, Love is really about male/female relationships, Steve Carell and Ryan Gosling are the ones that make the perfect couple. The duo's budding bromance definitely gives this film some of its funniest moments. Overall, this rom-com is enjoyable across the board, which includes the Blu-ray's audio and video presentations. More importantly, it should interest those that don't appreciate the genre, making it a worthy, entertaining purchase.
Product Details
Where to Buy:
| Overall | |
|---|---|
| Video | |
| Audio | |
| Movie | |
| Extras |
