A classy cast led by Steve Carell, Julianne Moore, Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone makes the most of this smart, sweet romcom
A classy cast led by Steve Carell, Julianne Moore, Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone makes the most of this smart, sweet romcom. Carell’s suburban family man is sent reeling after wife Moore confesses to an affair and calls for a divorce.
He’s soon pickling his sorrows in nightly cocktails at his local bar, where Gosling’s smooth charmer takes pity and decides to give him tips on how to woo women. ‘Cal, you got a kind face,’ he says, helpfully. ‘You got a good head of hair; you seem like a nice guy. I want to help you. I'm going to help you rediscover your manhood. Do you have any idea where you lost it?’
Watching Carell’s makeover from Mr Frump to Mr Attractive is a hoot, as is his one-night stand with Marisa Tomei’s daffy singleton (a hilariously over-the-top encounter). Meanwhile, Gosling’s cool starts to slip when he falls for Stone’s lawyer.
With further plot strands involving Analeigh Tipton’s teen babysitter and Jonah Bobo’s lovestruck 13-year-old adding to the fun, this is a romcom you’d be crazy to miss.
