C.R.A.Z.Y.

Genre: family drama
Director: Jean-Marc Vallée
Release: 2005
Studio: Cirrus Comms, Crazy Films - TVA Films
Rating: -
MBiS score: 8.1/10


Growing Up And Coming Out


It seems that life will never be a cakewalk for Zach Beaulieu. Soon after his birth, the poor guy was dropped on the hospital floor and almost died from the shock. When he was still a tot, people noticed he was different from other boys but his father Gervais (Michel Côté) insisted that he was a little man and not a “fifi”. Now that he’s a teenager, he remains as confused as ever… and the Beaulieu clan sure doesn’t help him much. With Émile Vallée and Marc-André Grondin (Zach as a child and in his teens), Danielle Proulx (Laurianne, his mother), Pierre-Luc Brillant (brother Raymond), Maxime Tremblay (brother Christian), Alex Gravel (brother Antoine), Natasha Thompson (Michelle), Johanne Lebrun (Doris), Mariloup Wolfe (cousin Brigitte), Francis Ducharme (Paul), Hélène Grégoire (Madame Chose), Michel Laperrière (the psychotherapist) and Jean-Louis Roux (the priest).

If growing up was a trying experience for us all, we can take comfort in the fact that those awful times are gone forever. Nevertheless, bad memories of youth will always linger, and it is in such a light that C.R.A.Z.Y. affected me most. This genuinely entertaining film will strike a chord among those who grew up in the 70s, especially the baby boomer generation of Quebec. Its script written in true auteur form with personal touches and occasional voice-overs deals mainly with our protagonist’s family life, his quest for identity, the treasured moments and horrible events that his formative years will permanently etch upon his mind. During this period, Zach will struggle with himself and worry about not fitting in while his disappointed family watches on, mostly oblivious to his wishes and needs. Do not expect anything spectacular from this movie; it simply offers a thoughtful examination of a young life not yet settled.

C.R.A.Z.Y. is blessed with fine acting all around, especially by Michel Côté as an overbearing father who can be amiable, hostile and everything in between, Danielle Proulx as a good-natured and protective mother, Marc-André Grondin as our teenage hero and Pierre-Luc Brillant as his constant nemesis. The general mood echoes that of LÉOLO but with more balance between drama and comedy; character development is most satisfying and dialogues are brisk and colourful. As for the story-line, I thought it meandered somewhat in its middle section but recovered admirably thereafter, paving the way for a touching denouement that will warm your heart and restore your faith in humanity. Production values are solid, the movie is technically accomplished and the action is well supported by a collection of evocative songs from the era as sung by the Jefferson Airplane, Pink Floyd, the Rolling Stones, Charles Aznavour and others.

All in all, C.R.A.Z.Y. will please you with its realistic and bittersweet portrayal of one special young man and his nagging nightmares (the Holiday season, coping with relatives, the monotony of everyday tasks, the thrills and spills of sexual awakening and the excesses of fashion). Do see this intellectually stimulating movie that also manages to tickle the funny bone.


MBiS

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