Review of Crazy on the Outside (2010) by Angel Marie Y — 15 Aug 2010

It's easy to find a ton of things to hate about this film, this being Tim Allen's directorial debut, I found myself a little forgiving.

It's that sense of being open minded that allowed me to get past the 30 minutes or so, and start to really appreciate what the film was trying to do. Initially, you may find it coming on a little too strong, and decide right away that you're going to hate whatever comes later. Yet, if you keep watching, you come to realize that combined, the performances and the story are kind of sweet, and you find yourself drawn in.

Tim Allen stars as Tommy Zelda. He is just released from prison and has to reintegrate back into society. He has to accomplish this while dealing with his sister (Sigourney Weaver) who is a compulsive liar, her judgmental husband (JK Simmons), naive grandmother, hard-assed probation officer (Jeanne Tripplehorn), and old partner in crime (Ray Liotta). Under circumstances like these it would be difficult for anyone to stay on the straight and narrow.

Still, given the many set backs he encounters through the actions of lovable idiots, or his own poor decisions, you root for the guy and hope he pulls through in the end. Typically, I find myself a harsher critic on films like this, and perhaps it's just the mood I am in, but I found it delightful and rather light hearted.

We've all been there, wanting a second chance. Needing to prove to ourselves, and others, that we can be better. I feel that Allen had something to prove with this project. Perhaps it was simply an exercise in the art of "to see if I could," or maybe there was more to it.

I get the sense that given the cast he put together, they all wanted to help a friend. It wasn't out of pity or for a quick buck. Instead, it was a reflection on Allen's character, and the idea that combined, they could turn out a pretty decent film. In my humble opinion, I think they did just that.