Fittingly, Les Rendez-vous du cinéma québécois kicked off last week with the launch of the special edition DVD of C.R.A.Z.Y. Many have pointed to the film as the perfect fusion of Quebec’s bold and vigorous box-office and the cinema d’auteur. Funnily enough, this is the third edition of the DVD of a film released but two years ago. It seems that director Jean-Marc Vallée was rather pissed that so few of the extra features contained English subtitles that he got involved with this edition to make sure everything was done to his satisfaction.

This two-disc set is worth it. For big fans of the film—and C.R.A.Z.Y. has certainly inspired a devoted fan base—this is an essential part of the library, complete with director’s commentary and interviews with the key players (Vallée and producer Pierre Even among them).

C.R.A.Z.Y. took in over $6 million at the box office, and a rudimentary sociological analysis would suggest that Marc-André Grondin’s portrayal of a young gay man’s identity crisis provided a metaphor for Quebec’s own changing identity during Quiet Revolutionary times. Whatever it was, something struck a nerve, because the film did outstandingly well on its home turf but didn’t quite catch fire in other international markets as was hoped.

It’s intriguing to watch the film now, after much of the hype has waned. I liked this movie a lot, but the Patsy Cline song that provides the film’s title is played so many times I was almost tempted to toss my Cline LPs out the window. Crazy indeed.

>> MATTHEW HAYS