Crazy/Beautiful (PG-13) No Rating
A spoiled little rich girl falls hard for a poor but ambitious Latino boy from East L.A., and must battle her own destructive demons to keep their relationship intact. Can you say "after-school special"?
Story
"Aw, you so crazy!" high schooler Nicole (Kirsten Dunst) is a pampered congressman's daughter determined to rebel against Dad (Bruce Davison), the authorities, and anyone who attempts to stop her booze-drinking, reckless-driving, class-ditching ways. Football star Carlos (newcomer Jay Hernandez) spends long hours on the bus to school, determined to get good grades and make it into pilots' school at the Naval Academy. After they meet and sparks fly, he struggles to keep his head and not lose sight of his goals while trying to calm Nicole's drinking and drugging urges. But despite his best intentions, Nicole's all-consuming problems and Carlos's own attraction to this wild child distract him from everything he's worked so hard for, to the dismay of his traditional family.
Acting
Despite his doe-eyed, innocent demeanor and soft features(of the two, clearly he's the "beautiful"), Hernandez seems mature beyond his years, fitting for the serious, studious character he plays. His understated charm and good looks work for the camera, and it's easy to see why Dunst's Nicole falls for him. On the flip side, Dunst's histrionics and melodramatic outrageousness drag this movie into TV movie-of-the-week territory. Hardly a scene goes by she's not screaming, shrieking or crying about her privileged life. That, or trying to get Carlos in bed (in full view of Dad).
Direction
Not only is this movie slow and draggy, we're subjected to unbelievable and way-too-long scenes that would never ever happen. Like, Malibu blondies Nicole (sans bra) and her half-dressed friend (with the bra but sans the shirt) stop off at an open-air market in East L.A. after a nighttime football game and wind up dirty dancing with the men hanging out by the taco stand. Are you kidding? There could be so much more done with the differences between the teens' cultures and their families' feelings, but more time is spent showing the couple romping on the beach, making out, driving around, making out, flying a plane, making out…we get it, already. And the contrived, let's-tie-up-the-loose-ends-quick ending is an insult, with the characters going against everything they've had you believing they believed in for two hours.
Bottom Line
A clichéd, sappy, silly entry in the genre of creative-teens-in-love romance to which teenage girls will no doubt flock, but'll give normal people a love hangover.
To get the full Quicklook Films experience, uncheck "Enable on this Site" from Adblock Plus
box office top 10
Civil War Released: April 12, 2024 Cast: Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura 11.1M
Abigail Released: April 19, 2024 Cast: Melissa Barrera, Dan Stevens 10.2M
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire Released: March 29, 2024 Cast: Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry 9.5M
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare Released: April 19, 2024 Cast: Henry Cavill, Eiza Gonzalez 9M
Spy x Family Code: White Released: April 19, 2024 Cast: Takuya Eguchi, Saori Hayami 4.9M
Kung Fu Panda 4 Released: March 8, 2024 Cast: Jack Black, Viola Davis 4.6M
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire Released: March 22, 2024 Cast: Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon 4.4M
Dune: Part Two Released: March 1, 2024 Cast: Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson 2.9M
Monkey Man Released: April 5, 2024 Cast: Dev Patel, Sikandar Kher 2.2M
The First Omen Released: April 5, 2024 Cast: Nell Tiger Free, Bill Nighy 1.7M