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Smart comedy stars Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore, Emma Stone, Marisa Tomei and Kevin Bacon

BY JOE TYRRELL

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

MOVIE REVIEW

Like many daters, "Crazy, Stupid, Love." flirts with wildness before retreating to safety.

In an era when Hollywood often seems to have forgotten how to make a smart comedy, this new vehicle for comfortable Steve Carell and magnetic Julianne Moore offers some grown-up pleasures, if ultimately the usual ones.

Working from Dan Fogelman's script, directors Glenn Ficara and John Reque see no need to inset fart jokes or provide a punchline to every scene.

That's especially welcome in the opening. Our view of a softly-lit restaurant comes at ankle level, with polished Oxfords and sexy stilettos snuggling underneath tables, until we reach Cal and Emily Weaver, sneakers and sensible shoes planted firmly on their own sides.

So it's little surprise when, perusing the dessert menu, the two cannot agree on what they want. Cal's choice, "crème brûlée," comes second to Emily's, "a divorce."

Their ride home is just as closely observed, with Emily babbling on, desperately seeking some response from her husband of more than two decades. Cal sits catatonically, hating every word until he literally cannot bear to hear another.

Meanwhile, at home with their younger set, pretty babysitter Jessica (Analeigh Tipton) walks in on their son Robbie (Jonah Bobo) enjoying himself. She deals well with the shock, but is unnerved again when he swears he was thinking about her.

In fact, Jessica is about to blurt out her feelings for poor Mr. Weaver, but he's too busy ranting about his wife's fling with a co-worker and extracting Jess' promise to keep all this from her parents.

But word inevitably gets out, the Weavers inexorably separate, and Cal inconveniently assaults every stranger he meets at the chic local watering hole with his tale of marital woe.

It may be Cal's first time dropping by, but the audience has already visited this playing ground. Wealthy player Jacob Palmer treats it as his personal Thunderdome — one man enters, one man and a woman or two leave — and keeps cruising even when he is unexpectedly rebuffed by savvy law student Hannah.

Since those two are played by the extremely buff Ryan Gosling, with acting juice to spare, and sharp Emma Stone, the current It Girl, we know that's not the least we will see of them.

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While there are only a couple of things that Jake will extend to the ladies, he is willing to reach out to a fellow man in need. He takes sad-sack Cal under his wing, offering makeovers both fashionable and philosophical. Soon, they are both in action.

Emily putters along with her low-key office romance with awkward but well-intentioned David, a small but nicely judged performance by Kevin Bacon.

Marisa Tomei makes her usual strong impression in another small part, interacting with many of the Weavers.

So "Crazy, Stupid, Love." puts an attractive group of plausible characters in play, in settings with rich comic potential. But for everything it gets right, it still cannot quite escape Hollywood's current malaise.