C.R.A.Z.Y.

Director: Jean-Marc Vallée

Starring: Michel Côté, Marc-André Grondin, Danielle Proulx

From director Jean-Marc Vallée comes this seductive portrait of the 70s and winner of the audience award at the Toronto film festival. Through the sexually ambiguous sounds of Bowie and the Stones LPs we follow Zac, fourth of five sons to a devout Catholic couple in Quebec. Born on Christmas Day, Zac is seen as a gift from God with the power to heal but his being ‘different’ just leads to the disappointment and anger of his family, especially his Patsy Cline obsessed homophobic father. Watching the family over the course of three decades, Zac’s childhood habitual dressing in women’s clothing and inevitable label ‘fag’ continues through to his teens and the sight of him made-up as Ziggy Stardust singing along passionately to ‘Space Oddity’. Devoid of acceptance, Zac’s sexual confusion becomes so extreme he comes close to death on various occasions, when all the while we know just one ounce of approval from the idolised father could finally bring peace to Zac.

The overwhelming feel for the era portrayed is what makes this film stand out so brightly, especially through the colours and soundtrack. Grondin in the lead role is incredible and appropriately gives the stand-out performance but this takes nothing away from the rest of the cast who play their parts wonderfully. The sexuality issue almost takes a back seat; the sex scenes are dealt with admirably, neither being too afraid to show anything but resisting throwing it in the audience’s face, and becomes more a tale of identity and universal desire for acceptance. Zac’s sexuality is his family’s taboo but this comes more from their own vanity and pride than anything, with the father celebrating his other son ‘Casanova’ Raymond’s sexual promiscuity and overlooking him as the real problem child with drug problems.

This is an absolute must-see film that will be overlooked by many for being a foreign language film, but its themes transcend all borders and cannot be more highly recommended.

Hannah Upton