C.R.A.Z.Y. (2005, Jean-Marc Vallee)

"The story of a guy growing up meanwhile dealing with himself and his family members from the time that he is born until he is an adult."

I had never even heard of this film. I also had no idea what it was about either. I just saw it named in a list of the best films from this decade so far and I decided to check it out under IMDB. While scrolling down the page I just saw that the page said "Awards: 33 wins & 4 nominations" and I rented it out of the blue. It came in the mail and it sat there for awhile until I decided to just watch the film. Even then I still had no idea what to expect and what it was even about.

Even after watching the film it is still really hard to explain. I will just say that it really is a perfect film. The film is mainly about just a guy growing up in the 70s and 80s. We see him as he gets into David Bowie music, starts smoking weed, falls in love, gets into new wave music. The plot is really that simple, just a man growing up. Its the all around writing and direction makes everything flawless. Each character in the film has enough depth and is written so perfectly that when the 2 hours are done you really do feel as if you know each character perfectly. The perfect use of voice over narration is also used perfectly in the film which I really applaud just because it seems like such a tough thing to pull off.

The style of the film is something else that is done perfectly well. The color schemes and overall tone switches as we get to different years. Its very subtle but it adds to the feeling of seeing time pass by. True, this is nothing new but given how great the writing is this only adds on to the films greatness. This isn't the only style the film has either, at times the film just bursts with style in a specific scene that just floors you and leaves the scene burned in your memory. Its really some great stuff.

C.R.A.Z.Y. - go watch it or buy it. You will not be disappointed but be careful for this film not only has a poster that looks an advertisement for That 70s Show, it also has one of the worst dvd covers of all time. Neither the poster or the dvd cover even capture what this film is really about. I hate when this happens.


- A+