C.R.A.Z.Y. - Movie Review

Even in the Twenty-First Century, parents instill gender roles in their children. Girls play house, dress up dolls and push baby carriages. Boys play sports, and have masculine dolls that are called "action figures." So imagine the havoc created when a six-year-old boy in the 1960s decides he wants a baby carriage for his birthday.

That concept is among the premises in C.R.A.Z.Y. The film takes on a dysfunctional Canadian family and their individual struggles to overcome differences, addictions and perceptions. The film centers on the fourth of five very different boys, Zachary (Marc-Andre Grondin, with childhood role performed by Emile Vallee). Zachary is not a stereo-typical homosexual, in fact, it is unclear whether that is the source of his turmoil. It is the exploration of his sexuality and the ramifications it causes that creates the substance of this film.

Life does not happen in a vacuum. A family unit can be complex, with many factors affecting a conflicted young man. Zachary's father, Gervaise (Michel Cote) has very strong opinions and believes he can "cure" his son. He is in denial about a lot of things, but does possess some fundamental decency. Zachary's brothers are equally odd. His oldest brother reads everything (even the ketchup bottle), his second oldest brother has addictions. The next brother is a jock, and the younger brother has weight issues. Zachary's mother, Laurianne (Danielle Proulx) tenuously holds the family together, running static between the boys and their demanding father. It is a coming-of-age film that explores family dynamics as much as it does Zachary's own inner struggles.

Director Jean-Marc Vallee co-wrote the script for C.R.A.Z.Y. with writer Francois Boulay. The writers have brilliantly created intricate characters complete with minor sub-plots that expose the fragile under-pinnings of family life. The script is quirky and realistic. The writers were very careful to craft a protagonist who paints a fresh picture of the subject matter. Rather than relying on cheap stereotypes, the writers have developed an intricate character who doesn't fully understand himself, never mind expecting the audience to understand. The audience explores the main character as he comes to understand himself. The writing was brilliant.

One of the aspects of C.R.A.Z.Y. that first caught my attention was the description of the soundtrack. Zachary is close to my own age and enjoys the same taste in music. Among the great tracks are Pink Floyd's Shine on You Crazy Diamond and The Great Gig in the Sky. It features Sympathy for the Devil (Rolling Stones), Space Oddity (David Bowie), White Rabbit (Jefferson Airplane), 10:15 Saturday Night (The Cure) and several songs from Patsy Cline, to include the inspiration for the film's title. The movie also had some decent French songs that I am unfamiliar with, but enjoyed nonetheless. This film demonstrated great taste in music.

Grondin was convincing in the lead role. He brought an edginess to his character that was steeped in rock-n-roll. His era-based fashion and music sense along with his grittiness made him seem hard. That created complexity for his character, who struggles with his own identity. The performance led credence to the struggle. Cote was also excellent, bringing a subtle likability to a role that otherwise would have been distant and cold. Prouxl connected with me with her solid performance. The casting assisted in developing characters that created the necessary family dysfunction without falling into flat predictable performances or caricatures. The balance lent credibility to the story.

C.R.A.Z.Y. is a 2005 Canadian Film that is among the better films I have seen from North of the Border. The delicate balance between characters made the family dysfunction seem credible. Set in the already tumultuous 1960s and 1970s, the film had a great setting to explore Zachary's turmoil. The film had subtle symbolism and a decent message that transcended the simplistic message of accepting alternate lifestyles. I do not have an opinion on the subject, but was interested in seeing a film that felt neither preachy nor fake. The struggle was the vehicle, not the message. 8.5/10.