C.R.A.Z.Y. - Verrücktes Leben

It is rare for a Canadian film - as opposed to an American film shot in Canada which is commonplace - to have a worldwide distribution, but even rarer for us to see a French Canadian move, but this one is a delight. Set in the Quebec of the 60s and 70s, it is the story - amusing, quirky, poignant, sad - of Zac Beaulieu (the Z of the title) born on one Christmas Day as one of five very different brothers (the initial letters of the names of the others spell out C.R.A.Z.Y. and the song with this title features on the soundtrack).

Zac's doubtful sexuality is a problem for him, his girlfriend and his Catholic parents, especially the macho but loving father played by Michel Côté and the resolution of this situation is not without confusion and pain. The film is a triumph for Jean-Marc Vallée, who directed the film and co-wrote it, and he is well served by a sensitive and nuanced performance from Marc-André Grondin as Zac.

As it has been said by others, this by all standards, not just as far French Canadian movies go, is a good movie. As somebody who grew up in Québec City I really appreciated how this movie really shows an intimate portrait of Quebec culture with all of its contradictions and beauty.

It showed how being an island of French in a sea of English does have an effect but that there is a definite Québecois culture which definitely bleeds into and mixes in with pop culture. For example the main character a young boy who is deeply conflicted with his sexuality is told he has the ability to heal people just by thinking of them if they are hurt...something which is uniquely Quebecois "old wives tale" The movie spans 2 decades or so, and the recreation of those decades from the house decor, to the music is really well done. The sound track shows in equal weights great Quebec classics along side such rock legends of the time of Pink Floyd and David Bowie.

The movie is great not because of a complicated twisty plot but rather really well acted and created characters. A very touching portrait of family life that can be appreciated not by just someone from that culture but supersedes cultural boundaries.

Well, I'm not very good expresing myself in English. I would prefer to write it in Spanish or Basque, but I'll try to do as well as I can.

I've just seen this film and I think that is marvellous. I used to love french films, but the Franco-Canadian films are very great too (see if you can Leolo).

The director and the play writer has madden a fantastic work converging reality and fantasy at once. I mean, sometimes in the film we can see fantastic elemments but paradoxically these elemments don't take away eloquence and realism to the film.

The director also has used the comedy to tell us the story, and that's really thankful for the audience. We make fun as the same time we become sad. Make a good comedy is more difficult than producing a tear-jerked drama.

Please, just go to your closest cinema (theatre) and see it. If you ca in Original version with subtitles ( I haven't got that luck, the 99% of the films in Spain are dubbed. I've to wait for the DVD to enjoy the film in french)

PS. I'm sorry because of my English.

This film shines. It exudes something tangibly different in its at times sensual photography, its sinuous, undulating changes of speed and motion. The story is refreshing, in that, although familiar, it is seen from a new, reluctant perspective - for me at any rate. I loved the embattled religiosity, that there was a loose acceptance in that Zac respected the beliefs of his parents, but never hammers home their differences in that respect. In others, though, inevitably there will be conflict, and perhaps particularly at the time of setting. An excellent character study in so many ways - even secondary characters are satisfactorily fleshed out, or have enough about them to warrant sympathy. Well written, well scored, brilliantly acted, and photographed.

Must go buy, now!

C.R.A.Z.Y. is simply one of the best movies of all time. It encapsulates a time and a place – Quebec in the sixties, seventies and eighties and evokes the era with an amazing sound track and jaw-dropping acting. You're there, in the moment with Gervais, played by Michel Côté who is the macho factory-working Dad.

He's the proud father of five sons but gradually realizes that one of them is a 'sissy' and takes this on personally in the jock world he inhabits. The father is a fully rounded character, not cast in the black and white mold so prevalent in other movies of this genre as his puzzled love for his fourth son Zac, played by Marc-André Grondin, is palpable.

The movie takes off in completely unexpected directions. Zac is totally uncomfortable with his sexuality and prays all the time for a 'cure'. He just wants to be like his brothers and earn the love and acceptance of his father. It is telling that for Gervais, he can accept his druggie son but not the one he suspects of being a 'fairy'.

There is a huge amount of humour in the movie, one scene in the cathedral with the boys' choir singing "Sympathy for the Devil" brought a joyful laughter to the audience I was in. It is that kind of movie. Gervais sings Charles Aznevour's hits with predicable regularity and has a thing for Patsy Cline and her music.

It is the era when everything was changing and insular Quebec, like the rest of the world, was being exposed to the outside world of David Bowie and Jefferson Airplane. Zac embraces all of these changes and struggles with his orientation.

Nothing is ever graphically portrayed, the plot is character driven all the way with incredible little sidelines and sidebars thrown in to add to the concoction. (One scene of a drunken brawl played to a beautiful opera piece comes to mind.)

Danielle Proulx, who portrays the mother, does not have much dialogue (typical of the era) but when she does speak it packs a wallop. She has a wonderful scene with Gervais where they discuss anal sex and a couple of others where her psychic ties to her son Zac are evident but never discussed.

The film just gets under your skin, you are there, in that microcosm of time when the world was changing so drastically and we just didn't know it. 9 out of 10. Take a bow Jean-Marc Vallée; you have an absolutely amazing talent! Bravo to the entire cast and crew. Movies are a pleasure when they're this special, and yes, I would see it again.