[9.25/10] C.R.A.Z.Y. (2005)

C.R.A.Z.Y. (2005)

The story of "C.R.A.Z.Y." concerns a French/Canadian Catholic family living in the Quebec suburbs in the 1970's and centers primarily on one of the son's, Zachary. His coming to terms with being gay is the plot thread that runs through the film but it also covers many years and many characters through the years, Christmas, weddings, births and deaths. The film presents us with a very charming look at life while at the same time providing us with a kind of film making that is ambitious and unique. It's hard to make a film as epic as this one because people expect it to have major world events in them. What this film does instead is provide a kind of childlike aspect of the world and how fragile and sad being young and different really is. Coming-of-age genre is so over-done and when it's done originally and refreshingly like it's done here, it's remarkable. The performances are simply brilliant. Zachary was incredibly portrayed by both Émile Vallée as a child and Marc-André Grondin as the teenager. We see his childlike wonder and innocence slowly transform into an adolescent identity that is based on fear, confusion and a strong desire to please his father. Gervais, played by Michel Côté, is man who truly cherishes his family but has a sometimes rough exterior. He struggles with the idea that his children's happiness may result from things that he can't control, despite how badly he may want to. It is amazing to watch both characters grow into men who are mature enough able to let go of themselves and of each other. Vallée does an incredible job of keeping some of the characters at arm's length, while maintaining their believability and importance to Zachary and Gervais. The film has a great soundtrack which changes the atmosphere of the different eras and also depicts teenage life throughout the 70s to a tee. The imagery is dream-like and artistic and the storyline and characters are well detailed and realistic. "C.R.A.Z.Y." is an exceptionally powerful and emotional film experience. Jean-Marc Vallée has put together a timeless film that will appeal to many, crosses all cultural boundaries easily and is satisfying from opening scene to the end.

• My Rating: 9.25/10
• Rotten Tomatoes: 100% (7.9/10)
• IMDb: 8.0/10