Crazy and Thief

I saw this beautiful film recently. I was unfamiliar with any of Cory McAbee previous work but I had a friend who was a fan and I decided to tag along to screening at the Leeds Film festival where Cory McAbee himself was present to introduce the film and hold a question and answers session afterwards.

I really didn't know what to expect I usually go to see main stream films and usually view the trailer first to know whats going on. I hadn't even had chance to read the synopsis of the film. The title Crazy and thief didn't give a huge amount away.

So whats it all about then.

The film opens with two young children playing on the street. A girl aged around 7 and a little boy aged about two. They create a star chart out of paint and the adventure begins . The film follows them as they embark on a journey to find the north star and the time machine given to baby Jesus. So the plot may sound a tad obscure but trust me it works.

This is a low budget film and very much looks like a home movie. The children who play the central characters in the film are not professional actors but the directors own children. They are simply adorable and very natural on camera. The two year old Thief aka 'Johnny' is subtitled which is novel and works so well. He is able jabbers away like any other two year old and we the audience are able to fully understand what he saying.

The film is split into chapters and kind of has a mythological theme with a cyclops and giant for example. It like the children's own Odyssey. There is comedy through out the movie and I found myself giggling a lot. You couldn't help but smirk and laugh at some of the remarks made by the kids when interacting with each and other grown up in the movie. The films soundtrack is great too and adds to the films charm.

This is a feel good and which will leave you with a warm glow as you leave the theatre.

This is a must see movie in my opinion.

A sweet little film in which director Cory McAbee's children Willa (6 y.o.) and Johnny (2 y.o) play Crazy and Thief, two parent-less kids who have an urban adventure following star symbols they see in adverts and signs and products that seem to correlate to a star map Willa has drawn. They meet a one eyed man in a park who is referred to as the Cyclops and another man who is the Giant. He isn't particularly tall, but that's the point, to little kids any adult can seem like a giant, and any small object or situation can hold great importance and significance. McAbee has cited early Sesame Street episodes as an influence and that's clear. The children aren't given knowing, smart Alec lines to read - they are just very natural, sometimes not even making sense. They are oddly independent, existing in their own imaginary world. it's a short, film without a strong plot or any high drama, but it reminded me of what it was like to be a kid.