(May contain spoilers)
Rather hard to imagine, but "Crazy/beautiful" is a teen flick with substance. Its story -- about two teenagers from different sides of the track who fall in love with each other -- may not be awfully new or whatnot, but the movie contains some subplots that give it something original, something that other teen flicks ("Drive Me Crazy", for instance) do not have. I cannot think of another movie that caters to the teenage audience that deals with troubled teenagers with, for example, alcohol problems. Nicole (Kirsten Dunst) must be the most intriguing character I've ever seen in a teen movie. She's messed up, she's neglected, and she's in serious need for love. She's someone many teenage girls can relate to, and Kirsten Dunst, much better here than in the ridiculous "Bring It On", excellently brings her to life. Her performance was heart-felt, solid, and, to be honest, totally surprising to me, as she really, really annoyed me in "Bring It On". The relationship between her and her father is also another highlight of the movie. Nicole's dad (forget character and actor's names) is extremely real, in the sense that the audience doesn't see him as a father who neglects his daughter just because he hasn't got time for her, or because he can't be bothered. The movie scripts their relationship in a way that allows the audience to get into their relationship and understand the conflict from both parties. Nicole gets herself drunk whenever she feels like it primarily because she thinks her father doesn't love her, and Dad doesn't shower her with the love she needs because she reminds him too much of his dead wife. This is the most genuine father-daughter relationship I've ever seen in a teenage movie.
"crazy/beautiful" suffers a couple of setbacks: a too conventional "wicked stepmother", and a rather boring leading man. Jay Hernandez, who played Nicole's boyfriend Carlos, was only okay in his role, and he was completely overshadowed by Dunst. Nicole's stepmom was simply not human. I'm sorry, but not since "Snow White" have I seen a stepmother character as flat as this one.
Despite that, "Crazy/beautiful" is a movie worth watching. It also has a terrific soundtrack to boot (Emilianna Torrini's "To Be Free", The Dandy Warhols's "Sleep"). I recommend both of them.
Rather hard to imagine, but "Crazy/beautiful" is a teen flick with substance. Its story -- about two teenagers from different sides of the track who fall in love with each other -- may not be awfully new or whatnot, but the movie contains some subplots that give it something original, something that other teen flicks ("Drive Me Crazy", for instance) do not have. I cannot think of another movie that caters to the teenage audience that deals with troubled teenagers with, for example, alcohol problems. Nicole (Kirsten Dunst) must be the most intriguing character I've ever seen in a teen movie. She's messed up, she's neglected, and she's in serious need for love. She's someone many teenage girls can relate to, and Kirsten Dunst, much better here than in the ridiculous "Bring It On", excellently brings her to life. Her performance was heart-felt, solid, and, to be honest, totally surprising to me, as she really, really annoyed me in "Bring It On". The relationship between her and her father is also another highlight of the movie. Nicole's dad (forget character and actor's names) is extremely real, in the sense that the audience doesn't see him as a father who neglects his daughter just because he hasn't got time for her, or because he can't be bothered. The movie scripts their relationship in a way that allows the audience to get into their relationship and understand the conflict from both parties. Nicole gets herself drunk whenever she feels like it primarily because she thinks her father doesn't love her, and Dad doesn't shower her with the love she needs because she reminds him too much of his dead wife. This is the most genuine father-daughter relationship I've ever seen in a teenage movie.
"crazy/beautiful" suffers a couple of setbacks: a too conventional "wicked stepmother", and a rather boring leading man. Jay Hernandez, who played Nicole's boyfriend Carlos, was only okay in his role, and he was completely overshadowed by Dunst. Nicole's stepmom was simply not human. I'm sorry, but not since "Snow White" have I seen a stepmother character as flat as this one.
Despite that, "Crazy/beautiful" is a movie worth watching. It also has a terrific soundtrack to boot (Emilianna Torrini's "To Be Free", The Dandy Warhols's "Sleep"). I recommend both of them.