Review of Crazy (2000) by Mike S — 30 Nov 2010

A French-language Quebec film; I saw it with English subtitles. With my not-used-in-20 years French, I could match maybe 60% of the dialogue to the subtitles and tell when they were doing an idiomatic translation rather than literal.

This film is anchored by very strong performances from the entire cast. The main story covers about 10 years from the early '70s to the early '80s in the life of a middle-class Quebec family. The story focuses on one son who struggles with his sexual identity.

The film is largely a comedy, although there are some serious, sober moments as well. There are some fantasy sequences that you have to watch for, as there are few, if any, visual cues to tell you it's a fantasy or dream.

This is a well-done coming-of-age story that also looks at family dynamics and, to coin a phrase, the ties that bind.