sol- Growing up in the 1970s in a devout Catholic household, a teenager wrestles with his sexuality in this French Canadian film that placed director Jean-Marc Vallée of 'Wild' fame on the map. The film gets off to a very good start, starting on the protagonist as a young boy with a lot of quirky comedy and some magic realism as he discovers he has gift for calming his baby brother, as he is told by a Tupperware lady that he has special healing powers and as he prays to not be a "fairy" while loving toys that girls tend to like. Wide-eyed Émile Vallée (the director's own son) is also solid in this brief turn. And it is brief because the majority of the film focuses on his teen and tween years, which are invariably less magical. Points of interest include a crush on a female cousin, the intimacy he also enjoys from smoking with other boys and his father's insistence in 'curing' any homosexuality. These issues tend to get repeated again and again though and soon lose their freshness. The quirky comedy of the initial section is mostly absent too. There are some nifty scenes in which he goes on an impromptu pilgrimage, but ultimately the film feels longer than it is. Marc- André Grondin as the teen/tween protagonist is certainly quite good; so is Michel Côté as his father throughout. In short, the film is watchable until the end, even if the first section seems far more powerful than what follows.

gizmomogwai The Toronto International Film Festival has revised its Top 10 Canadian Films of All Time once again, and of the four new additions I hadn't yet seen, CRAZY (2005) is the first I've sought out. Set in Quebec in the '60s and '70s, CRAZY is a family drama revolving around Zac, fourth of five brothers, who gradually realizes he's gay. His father, once close to the small child, becomes disapproving of how "soft" he's turning out, moving on to outright homophobia when he catches Zac with another boy. Zac also conflicts with an older brother who becomes a second shame to the family as a drug addict.CRAZY, which won the Genie Award for best film of 2005, is a solid and honest drama, partly realistic and tied together with themes of Christmas, miracles, songs and sexual identity. It's hardly the first film to come along about homosexuality, but it still came at a relevant time, with the debate about gay marriage in Canada reaching its boiling point. Homophobia is an old issue, but at the same time, the film's politics are a little more modern than classic Quebec cinema invoking themes of nationalism. I don't think the purpose was so much to justify homosexuality (today's audiences are a little more tolerant already), but to make the viewer feel for what it's like to have a family break down over intolerance and heal.CRAZY isn't better than Les Bons Debarras (1979), booted off the Top 10 this year, or Incendies (2010), which was dubiously snubbed. Still, it's a quality film and recommended.

droogsandyarbles No hesitation on this one. This is a gem; a jewel. A magnificent piece of storytelling. I will run out of adjectives trying to convince you to load this one up and watch it. It spans a lifetime of a young gay man; the trial and tribulations of growing up in eras where homosexuality is not accepted, and how he tries to conform to fit in. But that isn't the only story here. This is the story of an entire family. Each person individual and unique, and parents who try to deal with each one of their child's personalities. This is a story drawn with such meticulous care and precision, you will be amazed. There are scenes that will stand out in your mind as prominent as with any classical movie... because they depict something extraordinary in someone's life. Compliments to everyone involved. This is a movie I will definitely watch once every year.. You should too.

nnenok C.R.A.Z.Y. is my favourite movie since the year it came out. Is perfect in every sense, the narration is beautiful and every single scene is powerful. It is a story of growing up in the 70's in Canada and being different. It is not just a story about Zac but a story about Zac and Christian. The parents have five sons; three of them are successful or what society likes to call »normal«. Two stand out. One is too gentle, the other one too rebel. It shows that life is difficult for everyone that cannot be what others wants them to be. And it is difficult to learn how to deal with it and whether to change yourself. It shows all the unsuccessful struggles before finally or never figuring the solution out. This movie does not lie that people can change through night. Every process needs time to bloom. With an addition of Canadian-French culture.