Crazy in Alabama

Antonio Banderas has really shown that he can bring out the best in his actors. Both Melanie Griffith and Rod Steiger gave the most controlled performances I've seen from them in years. Lucas Black, who is still new, was terrific.

There was a lot of humor in this picture. But it had nothing to do with the civil rights issue. All of the humor had to do with a bizarre aspect of the murder.

I highly recommend this film. It makes you cry and it makes you laugh. And it's for all members of the family over 12.

I wasn't sure what to expect of this film but afterwards I was glad I had watched it. Great performances, esp. from Meatloaf and Lucas Black. He's going to be a star when he's older! When I saw that Antonio Banderas had directed it, I thought "Oh, here's another one of those films where the actor/director has to put his wife in the leading role.. blah blah blah" but it was a really good film. Overall, I give it a 8/10.

Crazy In alabama is one of the best movies of the year. Antonio Banderas did an awesome job as a director and Melanie Griffith is outrageous. It truly reveals the feelings of the 50s, the quest for freedom , and the insanity of racism.

Crazy in Alabama is one of those films that slipped through the cracks right before the new century, but it does have some assured direction from Antonio Banderas and a great performance by this then wife, Melanie Griffith.

Griffith plays her usual semi-ditz with a heart of gold, but with a southern accent this time. She's just murdered her husband, left her entire litter of children with her mother, and, in turn, forced out her two nephews from living under that roof. The film follows her journey to L.A. to become a movie star as her husband's decapitated head (which she carries in a hat box) taunts her from beyond the grave and her nephews get mixed up in southern, small town police brutality and race relations in the 1960s.

Because Crazy in Alabama is about two very different storylines, it can sometimes feel a bit tonally bizarre. One minute, you're watching Griffith nab a role on Bewitched as her husband's decapitated head taunts her and the next, you're seeing a young black boy murdered in cold blood by a crooked cop. It's an uneasy mix of comedy and drama that don't always go well together, but there are enough interesting ideas, good performances, and directorial flair to keep it entertaining.

Watched this because it has Antonio Banderas's directing his wife Melanie Griffith.

There are 2 ongoing stories set in the 60s in Alabama. An abused wife (Melanie Griffith) kills her husband and sets off to Hollywood to make it as an actress carrying her husband's head in a hatbox. Her nephew (Lucas Black) witnesses the local sheriff murder a young black boy after a dispute about using the local swimming pool. It's part feel good fantasy and civil rights commentary.

Melanie still looks young and slim and gives her signature ditzy performance. The filming is quite beautifully and colorfully done. Worth a watch.