Crazy, Stupid, Love.

When Cal Weaver (Steve Carell) discovers that his wife (Julianne Moore) wants to end their marriage, he reluctantly faces the unwelcome prospect of single life with the counsel of the younger and smoother super-bachelor Jacob Palmer (Ryan Gosling). Meanwhile, Cal’s adolescent son, Robbie (Jonah Bobo), has formed an unquenchable crush on his 17-year-old babysitter (Analeigh Tipton) — but is she more interested in Robbie’s recently unwed father?

Matt
Rating: 8 out of 10

It was nice to see a romantic comedy with a new voice. This isn’t quite like the trailers depict, a cheery-the-time flick with lots of laughs and likeable characters.

The truth is, these characters are very flawed, which makes them feel more real. They’re more relatable and approachable, and because of this, we relate. There are some genuinely funny moments, but there are also some truly dramatic moments, too. Like any romantic comedy, the reality in the movie is a stretch, but in this case it works. The womanizer, played well by Gosling, is so over the top with his gigolo ways. But it works because of his great performance — comedy is something he doens’t do much. Steve Carell and Julianne Moore are also both excellent. The cast really makes this movie work.

I really enjoyed this far beyond what I thought I would. It doesn’t pull punches with a sense of drama that is based in reality, but knows when to stretch with its comedy. This is a very good date movie.

The Kids Are All Right

Joni (Mia Wasikowska) and Laser (Josh Hutcherson), the children of same-sex parents Nic (Annette Bening) and Jules (Julianne Moore), become curious about the identity of their sperm-donor dad (Mark Ruffalo) and set out to make him part of their family unit, often with hilarious results. But his arrival complicates the household dynamics, and nobody is sure how he fits in — if at all — in this Oscar-nominated, Golden Globe-winning comedy.

Lauren
Rating: 8 out of 10

“This Kids Are All Right” is as good as the critics say it is (95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes).

The movie’s cast was excellent, with Annette Bening and Julianne Moore as a married, lesbian couple raising two teenagers and Mark Ruffalo as their sperm donor. Every character is likable at times and irritating at others. I didn’t always understand their motivation or agree with their choices but that’s the way we all feel about one another, isn’t it? These characters are all flawed and come across as real, genuine people muddling through a unique situation.

When the older of the two kids turns 18, she gets in touch with her mothers’ sperm donor and, along with her brother played by Josh Hutcherson, the family begins to get to know him.

It seems complicated and difficult but I was rooting for this family to figure it out and make it work the whole time.