Still Crazy Review
by Jon Popick (mailbot AT sick-boy DOT com)May 28th, 1999
PLANET SICK-BOY: http://www.sick-boy.com
When Still Crazy was nominated for two Golden Globe awards (Best Picture [Comedy] and Best Original Song [Comedy]) in January, most people had never heard of it. At best, they knew that it was about a popular ‘70s British glam-rock combo named Strange Fruit, and that the film showed them trying to hit the road after being disbanded for several years in an attempt to ride the current wave of retro popularity. Early viewers described the film as This is Spinal Tap meets The Full Monty.
In its heyday, Strange Fruit had its share of problems. Original frontman Keith Lovell died and was replaced by the less charismatic Ray Simms (Golden Satellite nominee Bill Nighy, FairyTale: A True Story), who always had trouble living in Keith’s shadow. Keith’s brother, guitarist Brian, was institutionalized years ago and is presumed to be dead as the film opens. The remaining band members have been out of the music game for years, but are itching to regroup once keyboard player Tony Costello (Stephen Rea, The Butcher Boy) suggests they give it a go.
The hilarious Billy Connolly (Mrs. Brown) is underused as a veteran roadie (he’s also the narrative voice of the film), but of more interest is the casting of actor-turned-director Bruce Robinson as Brian. Robinson hasn’t acted since the late ‘70s, but did write the recent debacle In Dreams, as well as the Oscar-winning The Killing Fields, and directed Jennifer Eight. Robinson looks eerily like a washed-up rock star. Also worth a mention is the performance of Jimmy Nail (Evita) as the Strange Fruit bassist. Actually, his performance isn’t noteworthy at all, but he does look like a cross between Anthony LaPaglia in So I Married an Axe Murderer and MTV’s Tom Green.
Directed by Brian Gibson (What’s Love Got to do with It), Crazy is honestly not much like the “mock”-documentary-style Tap. The only part that was even remotely like Monty was when the band auditions a young “hired gun” to play guitar for their tour, in place of Brian. Actually, it’s probably more akin to The Commitments, which Crazy writers Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais also penned. Unfortunately, Crazy isn’t nearly as entertaining. (1:40 - R for language, sexuality and drug content)
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