Carlos (Hernandez) is an impoverished Latino straight-A student who attends school in an upscale part of LA. There he meets wild child Nicole (Dunst), with whom he falls in love. But her destructive behaviour threatens their future.
by Ian Freer |
Published on
Release Date:
21 Sep 2001
Running Time:
100 minutes
Certificate:
12
Original Title:
Crazy/Beautiful
The set-up is as formulaic as they come: wild child rich kid Nicole (Dunst) falls for studious, impoverished Carlos (Hernandez), and thus ensues the typical round of tensions and break-ups before a saccharine finale undoes any goodwill the film has built up.
With Stockwell adding a style that is more rough-hewn than the typical studio project, it's good to see a teen pair portrayed as recognisable human beings rather than sex-fuelled stereotypes, and Dunst and Hernandez make a likeable couple. But the arc of their romance, played out to the obligatory US indie pop soundtrack, has nothing in the way of surprises or quirks to lift it out of the ordinary.
A valiant attempt to take teen concerns seriously, Crazy/beautiful does the job a little too well, providing little in the way of sizzle and interest.
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