Thriller, Suspense and Mystery movies come attached with an inherent expectation of surprise.
We’re always waiting for the other shoe to drop. That doesn’t necessarily mean the ‘twist’ loses its potency, just that we’re conditioned to expect a twist.
That is not an expectation we have with comedies or light dramas. And when movies belonging to those genres pull the proverbial rabbit out of the hat, it’s doubly surprising.
That’s precisely what happened in Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011).
Here Be Spoilers
It’s a simple story.
Cal’s (Steve Carell) marriage is in a rut. His wife Emily (Julianne Moore) cheats on him (with goddamn David Lindhagen) and wants a divorce.
A distraught Cal meets Jacob (Ryan Gosling), a lovable lothario who takes Cal under his wing and encourages him to adopt the playboy lifestyle.
While Cal begins his time as a casanova, Jacob lowers his defences and falls head over heels for Hannah (Emma Stone).
Ultimately, Cal realises he has to fight for Emily. He sets up a surprise for her and calls all three of his children to join in.
In walks Jacob, with Hannah, who is revealed to be Cal’s eldest daughter.
This was such a simple yet delightful twist, the effect of which was heightened by how Carrell and Gosling played the scene.
It’s a great development because it completely alters the dynamic between Cal and Jacob.
And the scene that follows the reveal is one of the great slapstick sequences in recent memory.
As all of the film's disparate plot threads come together in Cal's backyard, hilarity ensues.
Particularly when David Lindhagen, the human equivalent of a trash can, gets his much-deserved comeuppance.
The twist worked exceedingly well for me because I had no reason to even expect a ‘twist.’
And the fact that the writers were able to mine so much comedy out of the twist enhanced the effect.
Crazy, Stupid, Love isn’t a groundbreaking movie. It’s light and enjoyable but there are several other similar movies that I’ve watched and forgotten. But because of the ‘twist,’ this is a movie that has stayed with me.
There's something else that has stayed with me – David Lindhagen is the worst.
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