Canadian Film Forum

ramona · Junior Data inscrierii: 03/Dec/2008 Mesaje: 18

While waiting for the remote control yesterday, I read the film review on the back of the DVD box and it starts by saying that it's a film about "the extraordinary lives of ordinary people" I don't remember the rest of the text, but this indeed sums up quite well the story of the film.
Now, why ordinary people? We already talked about it yesterday and finally agreed that the main character is the whole family, which, taken as a unit, represents the average family throughout three or four decades: not too rich, nor too poor, not very intellectual, nor very ignorant, not very demanding, nor too permissive etc.
Then, why extraordinary people? Because each member of this family has his/her own personal story, which is more or less interesting or shocking, depending on the person. Some of us are born to "catch the eye", to draw the attention of people around, either through a nice look, or through a "nice looking" mind or personality. There are also those whose nature doesn't allow them to show the others that they're special, so they can very easily pass unnoticed.
I think it's the same with the characters in this Christian.Raymond.Antoine.Zachary.Yvan. movie :mbounce:

I really loved it! And if you asked me again about my favourite film (from the ones we watched), I would choose C.R.A.Z.Y. today :-D

larisa · Junior Data inscrierii: 30/Noi/2008 Mesaje: 7

Christian.Raymond.Antoine.Zachary.Yvan

well, it is the story of the whole family, but the accent is placed mainly on the second and fourth sons, Raymond and Zachary. I won't go that far as to suggest that their personality has to do something with numerology :-D

(2 and 4, even numbers). the family(and what happens to them) revolves around these two, because christian, antoine and yvan seem to be more common. Raymond and Zachary emerge as two powerful teenagers, even though this power is wasted.
as Ramona said on Thursday, we might see the film as a quest. christian and antoine channel thier energy on what they've done since childhood, unlike Raymond and Zachary who are continually searching for their identity. they're also struggling to find their place in a world that perceives them as different.

ramona · Junior Data inscrierii: 03/Dec/2008 Mesaje: 18

The worried, the stressed, the overwhelmed, the concerned, the lonely, the displaced, the desperate, the sick, the heartbroken, the confused, the angry, the lost, the human... These are some of the many "faces" a person can have, especially if that person is a teenager Smile

These are also good reasons to set out for the big journey of self-searching and the five brothers in C.R.A.Z.Y. are no exceptions.
It is true that Zac and Raymond seem to be more aware of their need to search and find AN identity and, unfortunately, only one of them succeeds in carrying on his personal quest. But each of the five has his own inner struggles, which are the hardest and the most important for the individual. Why? Because they are HIS, it's as simple as that.

Coman_Alina · Trimis: 10/02/2009 18:10 Titlul subiectului: C.R.A.Z.Y.

C.R.A.Z.Y. is a movie that covers a period of thirty years in the life of a Canadian suburban Catholic family. It talks about the family relationships, functions and dysfunctions, about puritan society against real life, about growing up differently and finding your place in a crazy world.
Vallee explains in an article: "The theme of the film is personal acceptance. It's about this struggle to express yourself and being honest in the moment.".
The movie recreates an era, using beautiful costumes, settings and a soundtrack brilliantly used. Representative for those decades, you can listen to Patsy Cline, Pink Floyd, David Bowie, Rolling Stones or Elvis Presley.
Even if the film brings up the controversial "gay" theme, it's not vulgar or aggressive, it can attract the mainstream audience.

melinda.tindela · Junior Data inscrierii: 04/Dec/2008 Mesaje: 15

The movie was lovely. I've finally watched it entirely.
I agree with Vallee, this movie is about acceptance - about accepting oneself, and accepting others. I do not really believe this movie is actually about finding your identity. How can I best formulate this?
Zac knows who he is. He is a boy who likes to play with dolls, and fancies strollers and dressing in his mother's clothes as a child. He is not a typical boy, who plays with cars and gets into fights, occasionally. But he tries to become one, when he notices that his father does not agree at all with his inclinations, interests. Thus, Zac is trying to deny his identity for the sake of his own father, who cannot accept it. It is not an easy process - if you remember, before going to bed, Zac would pray that his father changes his attitude towards him. What was the immediate answer to his prayer? A pillow on his head, and a "shut up!" from one of his brothers.
As I was saying, all of Zac's life is a struggle to please his father, to be the boy (and later, man)his father wants him to be.
Finally, Zac can no longer maintain the path he has taken, can no longer lie about who he is, so he undergoes a revelatory journey. His aim is to discover if he can survive by being a gay, and by being not accepted by his father. The answer is yes.
This movie is also about how your parents can - usually unintentionally - screw you up. Their demands and expectations can be sometimes too much for a child, and can even lead to his/her ruin. Zac's self-destructive attitude - caused by his parent - got the best of him, almost causing his death. Ugly.

Coman_Alina · Trimis: 12/02/2009 00:12 Titlul subiectului: C.R.A.Z.Y.

The atmosphere of this film reminded me of "70's Show" with Ashton Kutcher. This was a sitcom, but the music, clothes, smoke and drugs, and I would say especially the homophobic father are very much alike with C.R.A.Z.Y. Even the main character in "70's Show" is suspect of being gay.
The locations for the scenes in C.R.A.Z.Y were Quebec, Canada and Essaouria, Morocco.

anca · Junior Data inscrierii: 30/Noi/2008 Mesaje: 15

It is, indeed, Larisa, the story of the whole family. I find a similitude with Morometii, but living in an urban place and in out time.
Alina said that the atmosphere of this film reminded her of "70's Show" with Ashton Kutcher. I would said that somehow, watching the film, it comes to my mind Scorsese and Denys Arcand.

ramona · Junior Data inscrierii: 03/Dec/2008 Mesaje: 18

As we could see in Les invasions barbares, as well, the human being never stops searching; we are constantly looking for something, and after finding it, there’s always something new to search for, inside or outside our body, soul or mind. This searching really looks like a personal quest especially during this complicated stage of a person’s life, called adolescence.
Concerning Zac, I don’t think he knows very well who he is or is not, as a child or as a teenager. First, he tries to be his papa’s boy, hiding his feelings and desires to play with girls and dolls or to push the stroller. But his father sees him dressed up in his mother’s clothes, and everything changes at that moment: the best father in the world becomes the father on whom he unwillingly declares war, and he was only seven.
On the other hand, there are the two women – his mother and Madame Chose - who constantly encourage him to say his prayers and to use his gift in order to help the others.
And he does pray:
-as a 7-year-old boy: “Mon Dieu, s’il vous plaît, faites que je sois pas mou et puis que mon père redevienne comme avant “; ensuite, dans le camp “Mon Dieu, faites que ça arrive pas” (but it happens, eventually – the « wet » accident)
-as a 15-year-old teenager, who states he’s an atheist, but still attends the Christmas mass because he has a promise to keep; this time, the prayers don’t have a specific addressee: “S’il vous plaît, n’importe quoi, mais pas ça” (thinking that he might be queer) or “Faites que je la rencontre, s’il vous plaît” (when he’s looking for his cousin, Brigitte).
At the age of 20, he doesn’t really pray anymore, but he sets out for Jerusalem, even if he doesn’t do it out of Catholic faith. Nevertheless, when he finds the original disc of Patsy Cline for his father, he recalls his mother’s words “Les voies de Dieu sont insoupçonnées”.

Then, there are the superstitions… Whenever he is upset or frustrated, he gets superstitious and pushes his luck, for instance: he holds his breath under the water and wishes for a sister; he ignores the red light and makes this wish “J’allais simplement être guéri de mon asthme si je réussissais à passer” (but he is hit by a car); in the bus station, when he succeeds in calming down the crying baby, he gets so angry and decides to walk home despite the snow storm: “J’allais être guéri, si je réussissais à traverser la tempête”; then, there’s the walk in the desert, when he throws his inhaler and goes on walking in the burning sun and he is saved by an old man who is inspired enough to retrieve the inhaler, as well.

I think that, through these experiences, Zac wants to test himself, to find more about who and what he is or isn’t or he might just want to satisfy his curiosity. This question – “what if…?” may lead to very unpredictable reactions and actions. And I think Zac had to answer this question to himself…
Anyway, we've got a happy-ending because, as Zac says, his father has become his father again, which may be due to Raymond's death or to the passage of time...

melinda.tindela · Junior Data inscrierii: 04/Dec/2008 Mesaje: 15

"For instance, the first time he experienced the shot gun with his cousin’s dance partner might have made him curious about the perspective, rather than willing to change his trupesc orientation, at the beginning."

This is what Ramona says... Ramona...are you implying that he was straight and then he started to become queer? You say change his senzual orientation. Was this what you wanted to say, or was it just a rather uninspired choice of words?
I really believe Zac was, let's say, gayish from the early stages of his life. One does not discover his/her own sexuality only as a teenager. It is a process that begins much earlier. Children make passes on each other from kindergarten.
In addition to that, I do not think the film director, who apparently so carefully thought this film over, would leave some useless or unexplained scenes in the movie. The stroller scene and the scene where Zac puts on his mother clothes are there for a clear reason - they function as hints to make the viewer reach - later on - a conclusion about Zac. Not only that he is different, but that he is gay-different.
Now, moving along, does everybody really think Zac makes the baby stop crying at the bus stop? Am I the only skeptical one? Zac also "made" the priest get up in the church and say that the mess is too long, everybody should stop, and go home to unwrap their presents. And then we discover the priest had said nothing, all had been in Zac's imagination. Maybe the bus stop scene is a reiteration of the same idea, but without the revelatory scene.

ramona · Junior Data inscrierii: 03/Dec/2008 Mesaje: 18

Dear Melinda, you are so right! Unfortunately, you managed to read what I had posted last night just before I logged in to make some changes in my posts. So, stay calm, I'm not that uninspired, after all; I really had to "sleep on it", apparently. But I have to tell you, you've got an interesting way of addressing people. I hope it's just my imagination. :hmmm:

melinda.tindela · Junior Data inscrierii: 04/Dec/2008 Mesaje: 15

It is not your imagination. I am inflammatory by nature. And I lack any kind of social skills. :slap:

Yep, that's about it.

ramona · Junior Data inscrierii: 03/Dec/2008 Mesaje: 18

melinda.tindela · Junior Data inscrierii: 04/Dec/2008 Mesaje: 15

Well...I could advance a theory that might attempt to explain the reason for which Zac left the bus station so determined, so angry. I am sure it will not be to your liking, though. But it is just a theory. To quote my mother: "Zic numai, nu dau cu parul!" :-P

Here goes: Maybe he decided to leave the bus station because...the baby did not actually stop crying. The noise was still annoying him, so he decided to make use of another one of his gifts: his feet. He's put them into good use, and left! :-D

Leaving frantic theories behind, the bus scene is hard to understand, and it is not the only scene that can be hard to descipher. The movie, itself, appeals to the intelligence of the viewer. However, I am not certain we could, or we should try to put a label on every event, on every scene. Maybe we should try to understand the movie as a whole, as an entity, and not piece by piece, scene by scene. It portrays life as it is - filled with religion and atheism, with superstition, with people having various personalities and interests, with outkasts, with drugs, with acceptance and lack of it, with music. Our world is a world of contrasts, that continuously reinvents itself. To better understand it, watch C.R.A.Z.Y. :banana:

ioana · Junior Data inscrierii: 01/Dec/2008 Mesaje: 10

I'll watch it once more and maybe I'll write sth about it. Smile

The problem with CRAZY, Mr. Otoiu, is that... well, you had that unhappy event going on, and you left us by ourselves, and we were too busy making comments to be able to get into the atmosphere of the film. It's all your fault. :P
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