Loucas de Alegria

To define madness starts by defining normalcy. 'La pazza gioia' (the English title is 'Like Crazy'), the film written and directed by Paolo Virzì in 2016 has as main heroines two women hospitalized in a sanatorium for psychiatric diseases. In general, films of this kind are characterized by an oppressive and depressing atmosphere, same as life in this kind of institutions is known to be. Not 'La pazza gioia'. To start with, the film present a candid and sympathetic point of view towards what is happening in the villa in Tuscany where the heroines are hospitalized. The story has rhythm and humor. As we get to know the two women, we begin to understand the motivations of their actions, from escaping from the closed (or semi-closed) premises they are constrained to the past with the actions that brought them into the situation of being psychiatric patients. Up to a point, the female 'road movie' formula with two women running away from their own destiny quite faithfully respects the formula in the best known classic original 'Thelma & Louise', with the characters dominating the film here as well, largely due to outstanding acting. The result is original and exciting.

At first glance, the two women are very different from each other. Beatrice Morandini (Valeria Bruni Tedeschi) assumes aristocratic manners and creates an imaginary world around her own person, a world in which she is the rich and the dominant one. Donatella Morelli (Micaela Ramazzotti) is closed in herself, she always seems in danger of self-harming, obviously hiding tremendous trauma. One is chic and neat even when her dresses fall badly, the other neglects herself. One is blonde, the other is brunette. The institution in which they are hospitalized seems liberal, tolerant, trying to help. Their running away is not the result of despair but rather the pursuit of a promordial instinct of the desire for freedom. However, the outside world turns out to be much more cruel than the one in the constrained space from which they had fled. Confronting the reality and the personal histories of each of them, which are gradually revealed to us, is more traumatic than the treatment inside. It would be tragic if everything wasn't approached in a comic register which is, well ... crazy. Undoubtedly, this is the right word.

The roles of lunatics often provide opportunities for remarkable acting performances, but it seems to me that in this film the two actresses have achieved something extraordinary. These are two roles of this kind, but the two actresses not only do not eclipse each other, but complement each other wonderfully in a relationship in which their traumas and despairs come together and generate emotion without falling into pathos or cheap melodrama. However, the film also features numerous scenes in which the comic of situations and characters offers opportunities for healthy laughter. The sunny and picturesque landscape of Tuscany that we know from so many films with touristic aromas provides the background of a corrupt and ruthless world, where the only chance and last refuge of the heroines is the psychiatric institution from which they fled. Paolo Virzì manages with 'La pazza gioia' a remarkable performance - a 'good feeling' movie about madness and despair.

At first you wonder what a woman like Beatrice Morandelli Valdirana is doing in the Villa Biondi, an institution for women with mental health problems in the Tuscan countryside. She claims to be a Countess, rich, well-connected and knowledgeable. A little bit of a busybody maybe, talkative, inquisitive and demanding but clearly intelligent. It's not long however before you're wondering what on earth they are thinking letting her out to do some part-time work at a plant nursery. Are they mad?

The difference is that Beatrice seems to have hit it off with a new 'inmate', Donatella Morelli, who has been brought in after a suicide attempt. Unlike Beatrice, Donatella is silent, withdrawn and nervous, and has no social connections and only one number on her phone. When the mini bus picking them up from the nursery is late one day, the two women decide to make their own way back; the long way, with a few amusing diversions along the way.

With two inmates from a mental health institution on the loose, you might think La Pazza Gioia (Like Crazy) is going to be something along the lines of 'The Dream Team' meets 'Thelma and Louise', and indeed the film plays up the crazy angle for all it's worth, with plenty of broad humour to be had in their encounters along the road and their chases from the authorities. Principally however, La Pazza Gioia is an actor's game, and Paolo Virzi is working with two of the best here, giving them great material to work with.

Beatrice is a gift of a role for Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, who has a successful career as an actor in France and Italy and has drawn on her own aristocratic background as the writer/director of 'Il est plus facile pour un chameau...' and 'Un château en Italie'. Give her broad and she'll expand to fill the role, demonstrating the full range of her abilities from comedy to drama, from melodrama to more subtle exchanges and sensitivities. The dynamic is stretched further in the contrasting role offered to Micaela Ramazzotti as Donatella, who is searching for her son who has been taken away from her and into care. This gives the film a little more dramatic poignancy than the premise might suggest.

More then than just being a buddy comedy or a vehicle for two great actors, it's the fact that there are two great performers in these roles that gives the film the necessary balance between comedy and more serious matters that are raised. La Pazza Gioia looks at some of the problems faced by women and how those troubles are not recognised or taken seriously in the no-nonsense modern world. It's enough to drive anyone crazy.

From the writer, director of 'Human Capital' fame. This is a road adventure that's filled with some fun, thrills and emotions. The story of two women and their unplanned journey to their unfinished businesses. Kind of self-discovery theme, but it gets a little crazy as what the title says. If you know Paolo Virzi and his films, then you know what to expect from it.

Well, it begins with when a new member Donatella at a mental institution was fooled by Beatrice, who was there for quite a some time. They might have differences, but have some unfinished affairs outside. An unlikely friendship blooms between them and one weekend, the situation favours them to get away. From there where their journey goes and how it all ends comes in the rest of the narration.

They both are not ill or the danger as they were institutionalised. Then why is what the film is going to narrate for us. Before that, it was initiated with a simple introduction of them and the situation they are in. It was really a good start, but then between the end of the first act and the beginning of the second was looked decent. Because that part was very familiar. You know, what do the people do when they runaway which were mostly wandering around and enjoying the freedom.

I thought it was a good film, not as I expected. Then, ever since the second half was on the roll, it got a lot better, in fact I started to love it. From a meaningless ride to something sensible topic, the narration comes to the point, what it was holding back in the earlier. Each woman's life revealed before to when this story had commenced. So the trip comes to an end when they do what's better for them and everybody around them. Kind of sad, though it concludes in a right way.

"A mother's love is all giving, never expecting anything in return."

The two lead actresses were amazing. Second back to back film for director with Valerina Bruni and she was even better than the previous film. Because the scope of her role was much bigger in this. I don't know I had seen her before, but Micaela Ramazotti was so good, by performance as well as glamorously. There's no way you could part them and say only one of them were good. I loved them both equally. Actually, that's how their characters were developed. The entire film was about them, and they left a mark to remember this film for them.

It's a good film, so I don't think it is an Oscar material as the Italian film board had already picked another film for that. But surely it going to win some international awards. If the same film was made in Hollywood, would have considered an average, because this one got the Italian flavour. The film gets crazy, in an Italian style, and in the perspective of the middle aged women. But it can enjoyed by everyone.

I have been watching a few good Italian films of the year, including this one. So I would definitely recommend it. Nearly two hours long, but the pace gets better while the story developed. Remember this is not the only kind, but one of the best among this theme you had ever seen. Ending the story with high emotional was so good, especially if you like that kind of material. I hope you won't miss it. Meanwhile, I'm so excited for the director who is making his first direct English language film. Looking forward to its release.

8/10

I consider myself a fan of Paolo Virzì movies and this one did not disappoint me. And yet, I always come back with that feeling that he seems to be always just a step away from an accomplished masterpiece. Like Crazy easily passes the minimum threshold of getting one involved and watch it to the end, in fact more than that. At 2 hours it's a longish movie whose end arrives sooner than expected. There's however something not quite fully realized in it, might it be the cutting, the repetition of certain schemes, the un-natural behavior of some of the characters. It's a bit like a poem where a few rhymes don't quite rhyme or the hidden meaning doesn't quite come through. The acting is certainly not to be faulted: if this were a Hollywood movie, Micaela Ramazzotti would have undoubtedly qualified for an Oscar nomination. Bruni Tedeschi is great too but a bit over the top here and there. A better cutting would have been a great help, too as some themes are a bit repetitive. Taking away some 5 or 10 minutes would have greatly improved the flowing of the narration. What can I say, I appreciate everything Virzì has done so far, he's surely a great director but I'm still expecting and betting that his best has yet to come.

"A joyful madness" would have been a better translation for the international market. Such a surprisingly good film. Well, not entirely surprising because Paolo Virzì, from Tuscany, currently one of Italy's best directors, his movies always centred around interesting, well defined characters, masterfully mixing comedy and drama, in this case with heart breaking results. It helps that this screenplay has been written together with talented screenwriter and director Francesca Archibugi who, amongst other things, in 1990 directed Italian movie icon Marcello Mastroianni in the drama "Verso sera" (Towards Evening). Her contribution to this film must be acknowledged. The two leading actresses are excellent. Micaela Ramazzotti as the desperate mother who, amongst all sort of troubles, tries to get back in contact with her only son. Even better is Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, who is absolutely amazing as Donatella, the rich countess who struggles to cope with her mental disorders but who takes the younger Beatrice under her wing. When they run away from the psychiatric facility they are placed in by the authorities (perfectly depicted in typical human but caothic way) their foolish adventure begin. Such an intense, moving, touching film. Highly recommended.