Python Hyena
C.R.A.Z.Y (2005):Dir: Jean-Marc Vallee / Cast: Michel Cote, Marc-Andre Grondin, Danielle Proulx, Pierre-Luc Brilliant, Alex Gravel: Provocative Canadian comedy about raising a family or in this case, five boys. Story chronicles four decades beginning in 1960 Christmas day when fourth child Zac is born and believed to have healing abilities. Zac struggles with bed wetting while growing up then he denies his homosexual conduct, which worries his parents. Director Jean-Marc Vallee details the story within his sexuality as well as his relationship with his parents and four siblings. Vallee also matches the era of the story as well as blend humour, drama and tragedy effectively. To pull this off with an ensemble cast can be difficult but he is backed with a detailed screenplay that works. Great ensemble cast includes Marc-Andre Grondin as Zac who struggles with identity as well as his fit into society. Michel cote plays his overwhelmed father who demands that his sons not be sissies. The homosexual issue becomes a problem until he is faced with either accepting it or lose contact altogether. Danielle Proulx plays Zac's mother who is overly religious. Pierre-Luc Brilliant plays aggressive older brother who is constantly on drugs. It addresses raising a family and coping with issues of sexuality, tradition, acceptance, and other things that can drive a person crazy. Score: 10 / 10
Vassilis Letsios
A wonderful movie with many things to say about family and homosexuality. The main character can perhaps be seen as a modern Jesus who can do miracles yet he suffers the Passion of a homosexual raised in a conservative and religious place and family. The character of the mother, the movie's Virgin Mary, is perhaps the strongest character of the movie. The bond between the mother and the son is wonderfully presented. The connection with music is genius, a modern Jesus has to be distinctive if not a star. The story is somehow said through music of different types and time, from father's precious "Crazy" and dinner chansons to Zac's "Space Oddity" and other progressive rock and androgynous stuff signifying the oddity and complexity of not being "one of them". I loved the escape to modern Jerusalem, very meaningful. Significantly modern Jesus is abandoned by his Father and is saved by a local nomad. Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.
Saad Khan
C.R.A.Z.Y. – CATCH IT (A) French Canadian C.R.A.Z.Y. is one of the finest coming of age films I've ever seen. Being a sucker for dysfunctional family movies, and C.R.A.Z.Y. does a justice to portray a family living in 1970s coming with terms of sexuality of his son. Raising five sons in one house is not easy, and so that's what we see here. Kudoz to director for keeping it real even though at times I wanted to see him push the envelope and show us how does Zac actually finally feels (sexually) being his own. Anyways it's not a big deal as the movie is gem in itself. I have to say I loved the dialogues and screenplay. Marc-André Grondin is truly spectacular, I saw him in Goon May 2012 and then I saw this movie. So watching him from playing jerk to this coming of age boy, His performance is truly heart hitting believable. Here he is not someone getting bullied by people because he fights hard against what he feels or what he is. Anyways I have become huge admirer of him. Pierre-Luc Brilliant ias Raymond is superb, the ultimate junky teaser. Michel Côté & Danielle Proulx are superb as parents of five boys surviving with whats happening to their sons. I even forgot that it's a movie and not a real family. Overall, C.R.A.Z.Y. is one of the finest coming of age or dysfunctional family movies I have ever seen. Truly deserve all the accolades and 100% rating on Rotten tomatoes.
Suradit
CRAZY contains the usual elements found in the all too typical family-comes-to-terms-with-gay-son stories, but the characters in this story and the actors in the movie are extraordinarily multidimensional as one would expect of real people trying to reconcile the reality of their family situation against their unrealistic, idealistic expectations.Although the story does seem to revolve primarily around the gay son, all five sons and both their parents, like real people, have their strengths & weaknesses. Each brings both joy and disappointment to the family as a whole. In fact another son seems to be more of a burden to everyone and it is his self-destruction that acts as a catalyst in healing the strained relation between father and gay son.It is very easy to feel you are watching an actual family dealing with the emotional ups and downs rather than actors portraying them. An excellent well-developed story and some very convincing acting.
AD
