Zach appears to be living the American dream as far as most men are concerned - he's a millionaire with a house on the Hollywood hills where he spends most nights with partying hard with countless beautiful women. He meets "Crazy Eyes", a woman he becomes obsessed with, particularly because he can't seem to have sex with her. Crazy Eyes is a unique character study examining a character who so hopelessly alone even though he never truly realizes it, entranced by sex and alcohol. While the film definitely explores the "money can't buy you happiness" theme, it goes much further in exploring a character whose only real love is alcohol. A divorcee father, Zach doesn't come off as a terrible person, but he clearly neglects his son, choosing the bottle time and time again. In a way Crazy Eyes criticizes the superficial nature of Los Angeles culture, showing how Zach's wealth is both his crux and his liberator. It's a film that is not particularly flattering towards woman, as they are mostly shown as creatures whole only desire is money - sadly a concept that isn't far from the truth, particularly for these types of crowds in the City of Angels. The film has some of the most realistic sequences of debauchery I have seen, from the alcohol soaked nights to the morning-after haze which engulfs Zac on a daily basis. There are some great visual compositions, from the way light is routinely hazy yet poignant to a series of visual distortions using shot glasses, beer mugs, etc. which are used through-out the film to great affect. The difference between a film like Coppola's Somewhere and 'Crazy Eyes' is that while there are glimpses of sadness, Zach is never someone we are supposed to pity or feel particularly sad for. The film argues that characters such as Zach would never be nearly as aware of their loneliness, simply because of the solace and comfort they find in their alcoholism. This is a film that is far from perfect, but the overall negative reviews I have read are baffling to me. Another example of people hating a film just because they don't like the main character, which I find to be a pathetic notion when it comes to film criticism. This is a dark comedic film about a man whose only true love is alcohol, being both an entertaining and baffling character study. 7.75/10
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorLove of all things cinema brought me here. Archives
June 2023
|