Released: 26th February 2021
Length: 102 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Director: Dani de la Orden
Starring: Álvaro Cervantes, Susana Abaitua, Luis Zahera, Aixa Villagrán, Txell Aixendri and Nil Cardoner
Romantic dramas may be less popular than they were two decades ago, but in some cases a smaller scale production makes an impression. Spain’s Crazy About Her is one of those films, a release that handles both story and setting with a sensitive hand.
On a night out, magazine journalist Adri (Álvaro Cervantes) stumbles across a whirlwind one-night-stand as he sneaks into a wedding party with someone he met at the bar. Madly in love with the mystery woman, Adri finds Carla (Susana Abaitua) at a mental home and realises she is under treatment for bipolar disorder. Adri heads inside under the guise of a mental illness to be closer to her and ends up forming several bonds with the other patients. So begins a set of closely-knit interactions mixed with a sprinkling of mild comedy; at first Adri wants out of the institution, but he soon finds himself bringing some happiness into the lives of others and overcoming his own narrow perspective. On occasion some of the more rebellious deeds do cross the line into unlikeable territory, but for the most part Crazy About Her keeps you invested, even when it relies on clichés. Most notably, there’s a dramatic chase scene at the end of the film that’s meant to craft a more extravagant climax, but it doesn’t negatively impact the wider story.
Where it really counts is the duo at the centre and both Álvaro Cervantes and Susana Abaitua form an emotive relationship. The ups and downs of their feelings for each other are both well captured and well-paced. Yet despite being the main focus, the other cast members also bring a lot of poignant moments to bear. One of the more emotional elements stems from Luis Zahera’s Saul; as an individual suffering from paranoid-schizophrenia, he’s unable to see his daughter and feels forced to put on an appearance to hide his condition from her.
Marta (played by Aixa Villagrán is also very believable as she slowly adapts to life with tourette’s syndrome. Although Crazy About Her focuses on these main strengths very well, other characters don’t receive as much attention; being a more intimate production, it’s tricky to balance out screen-time and development. The germophobic Victor (Nil Cardoner) and the split personality of Tina (Txell Aixendri) are mostly left to the background, their own internal struggles going by underused. While this is somewhat disappointing, the film does do a great job of presenting the patients in a realistic and sympathetic manner. There’s no glamorisation, nor does the bond between Adri and Carla overshadow the wider context. It succeeds at keeping the two sides in balance.
It gets clichéd in places and some of the characters go by underused, but Crazy About You still has its heart in the right place. The chemistry between its two leads is really good and that warm fuzzy feeling the genre creates comes across successfully. Its sensitive approach to mental illness is just as engaging as the romance at its centre, making it an effective effort.
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars (Good)
Comments