Steve Carell plays a long-married man whose wife, played by Julianne Moore, decides she wants a divorce.
As he drowns away his sorrows, a ladies' man - that's Ryan Gosling - decides to give the guy a makeover and lessons in the art of seduction.
We know Carell is funny, and he delivers some drama here as well, but Gosling is a real discovery. For an actor known primarily for drama, I'm already looking forward to his next comedic adventure.
The acting is actually what I noticed most. Marisa Tomei is just fantastic in a supporting role as a potential lover for Carell's character.
There are also actors whose names I didn't know before, but because of their good work, I know them now, including Jonah Bobo, who's a kick as a lovesick teenager who's fallen hard for his babysitter.
At just under two hours, I do feel there are a few moments where the movie drags, and while it's rated PG-13, I think adults will enjoy and understand the story more than the teenage crowd.
There are a couple of clever surprise twists weaved well into the story. Mainly, though, it's just a good time.
I thought the characters spent too much time in one bar trolling for evening companionship, especially when L.A. has so many.
While she was barely in the clips, look for the babysitter. She does a really nice job. Her name is Analeigh Tipton, and she was a runner-up on season 11 of "America's Next Top Model."
Overall, really good acting, good movie, good fun.
