Feb 29: Crazy, Stupid, Love

"A middle-aged husband's life changes dramatically when his wife asks him for a divorce. He seeks to rediscover his manhood with the help of a new-found friend Jacob, learning to pick up girls at bars."

   Steve Carell will win an Oscar one day, you can quote me on that right now, right here. His filmography has become stronger and stronger as time goes on, and Crazy, Stupid, Love is another exceptional entry. His likeability, his honesty, and his earnestness adds so much to the movies he's in, and when the perfect part comes along (I thought it was Little Miss Sunshine), Carell will be swimming in a kiddie pool of awards. And, you really can't help but be happy for him. In Crazy, Stupid, Love, he shines, as does the entire cast, and it's because of this ensemble that the movie works wondrously. It is a romantic comedy and, of course, can't go without a couple of cliches, but most of the time it makes fun of itself in that fact.

It's a "chick flick" without Katherine Heigel, thus 100% bi*ch free. 

   Crazy, Stupid, Love is a fresh, original, and smart movie. The dialogue is hilarious and very sincere, and there are just the right amount of story-lines going on (f**k you New Year's Eve) that not only keep your interest, but come together gloriously at the end. The film has a handful of genuinely funny moments, as well as a couple of pull-at-your-heart-strings scenes that leave you a little "blubbered". It's an excellent combination of sappy, happy, and not-too crappy. Everything that happens is believable, and it never crosses into the "Come on! Really?" area that most romantic comedies find themselves inside. 

Thankfully, no "empowered" successful female editors, lawyers, reporters, bakers, or designers "too busy" for love. 

   Overall, Crazy, Stupid, Love is a nice little movie that is not just for women. There are a fair share of laughs and the performances by Steve Carrell, Ryan Gosling, and Emma Stone clearly show that they are perfect for their roles. Carrell's kid, played by Jonah Bobo, gives quite the performance for someone his age. Unlike most comedies that fizzle out towards their conclusions, Crazy, Stupid, Love starts off a little slow, but it's finale is worth the wait. The film knows you're not some stupid drone and in its smart, witty dialogue and characters, it's so much more relatable than most of the shit polluting the theaters around the world. 

The Good:

it's a film that knows its audience, and awards us with a great cast, dialogue, soundtrack, and plot

The Bad:

although slightly disguised, it's still a movie about rich, beautiful people and their problems 

The Ugly:

my realization that I will never look "photoshopped" like Ryan Gosling

Overall: 7.9/10

Best Quote:

Jacob: "The war between the sexes is over. We won the second women started doing pole dancing for exercise."

Feb 6: Drive

"A mysterious Hollywood stuntman, mechanic and getaway driver lands himself in trouble when he helps out his neighbor."

   Drive is many things. It's beautiful, it's violent, it's original, and it's just plain cool. Ryan Gosling proves he is much more than just a good looking dude (face it, we all know he's a stud), and Drive proves he can be an insanely awesome badass. From the way he talks, to what he wears (a friggin' jacket with a scorpion on the back!), to him chewing on a toothpick as he speeds through the streets of L.A, Gosling reeks cool, and Drive channels that cool factor in the most glorious of ways. 

Every girl wants to f**k him and every guy wants to be him. Fact.

   The film follows Gosling, simply called The Driver, who is a stuntman and mechanic by day, and getaway driver by night, and he's damn good at all three things. Trouble ensues when his neighbor, the always cute Carey Mulligan, finds herself, her young boy, and her ex-con husband owing the wrong people a lot of money. Gosling offers to help, and like every pulpy movie with a badass edge, everything goes wrong. But, oh how stylized and beautiful it all plays out. Imagine if Hot Wheels was manufactured by Van Gogh and the whole creation is set to electronica music of the awesome 80s. 

Even Vincent was a fan of Gosling. 

   Drive is directed by Nicolas Winding Refn, who also directed Bronson, a film I reviewed and loved earlier. The style is very similar, and Refn proves again he's one of a kind. The visuals of Drive are amazing, and every scene is shot with reverence, showing the beauty in everything the camera catches. Many of the scenes are shot as though you are in the car with The Driver, and the suspense that builds with every turn heightens the tension. Another thing worth mentioning is that Drive uses many locations in Los Angeles that are not seen in every other movie set in the city, and the fresh view makes the movie feel all the more original. 

Drive even makes a crappy town look interesting. 

   Overall, Drive is the rare kind of film that works on all levels, from the incredible acting, to the visuals, and an engaging story that leaves you wanting more. The pace is slow, but when the action kicks in, it not only blows you away but leaves quite the mess. With an amazing supporting cast that includes Albert Brooks, Bryan Cranston, and Ron Perlman, and a mesmerizing soundtrack that fits the film perfectly, you cannot go wrong with Drive. 

The Good:

The supporting cast, camerawork and awesome story

The Better:

I mentioned it a couple times before, but I cannot reiterate how awesome the soundtrack is. Some of the songs on their own don't sound the greatest, but when mixed with the film itself, the combination is flawless.

The Best:

Ryan Gosling and the massive amount of ass he kicks

Overall: 9.5/10

Best Quote:

Driver: "If I drive for you, you get your money. You tell me where we start, where we're going, where we're going afterwards. I give you five minutes when we get there. Anything happens in that five minutes and I'm yours. No matter what. Anything a minute on either side of that and you're on your own. I don't sit in while you're running it down. I don't carry a gun. I drive."