Crazy About Her
When Adri (Álvaro Cervantes) – a cynical Spanish journalist who spends his time writing trashy articles and proclaiming that he is all-knowing in how to succeed in life – meets a mysterious young woman and they embark on a wild night out together, he falls head-over-heels. The only catch is that she explicitly says that this is for one night only, disappearing into the night and accidentally leaving behind her jacket with a clue to where she lives. Adri realises the woman, Carla (Susana Abaitua) is a patient at a mental-health facility. Naturally, he pays off a doctor to sign him in so he can get her number.
Carla is none too pleased to see Adri, reminding him of their promise that they would never see each other again. Adri then realises that he has signed over his guardianship and cannot leave the facility. In order to get out, he must win over the rest of the patients, as in this facility, patients rate other patients and a high rating means getting discharged. Will Adri win over Carla as well as his freedom?
Romance films that feature mental health tread on thin ice as past movies have shown that they are heavy trivialisation and glamorisation of mental illness, particularly in women, as conditions are sometimes used to make them appear quirky and mysterious. The first half of Crazy About Her features corny dialogue and misrepresentations of mental health, implying that a random journalist can help treat people with bipolar, schizophrenia and depression. Adri’s mantra – he tells his fellow patients – is that in order to get better, you have to want to get better, only reiterating how ignorant he is to the full scope of mental conditions.
However the feature redeems itself in the second half, portraying the hardship of mental illness and how it can’t be cured by some sunshine and a more positive life philosophy. It also touches on a poignant point that although people suffering cannot depend on romance and relationships to solve their issues, it doesn’t make them unworthy of love. The ending redeems the rest of the flick’s cheesy dialogue and offers an authentic resolution for Adri and Carla, not a Hollywood fairytale finish, but a truthful one that reminds the audience that just because something will be difficult, does not mean it isn’t worth it.
Emma Kiely
Crazy About Her is released on Netflix on 26th March 2021.
Watch the trailer for Crazy About Her here:
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