Crazy/Beautiful (2001)
Directed by John Stockwell
At Pacific Palisades High, a poor Latino falls hard for a troubled girl from the affluent neighborhood.
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That theme has been played for comedy (Bringing Up Baby) or poignancy (The Sterile Cuckoo), and its appeal is enduring, especially to teenagers, which is where this latest entry will find its most sympathetic audience.
But in a twist on its Romeo and Juliet roots, the movie shifts the critical obstacle from the outside world to their own raging, adolescent hearts.
There are enough reasons not to like John Stockwell’s high school romance, primarily its hackneyed Romeo and Juliet plot and dramatic conveniences (wicked stepmother and basically consequenceless drunken escapades for the rich girl, protective older brother and career-endangering decisions for the East L.A. homeboy).
Director John Stockwell (a former actor in films such as "Christine" and "Top Gun" turned filmmaker of pictures for HBO such as "Breast Men" and "Cheaters") and screenwriters Phil Hay & Matt Manfredi (making their feature film debut) obviously know their target audience and what they want and expect from a film like this.
The 19-year-old Dunst has appeared in more than 30 films in her career � some interesting ("The Virgin Suicides," "Mother Night"), some terrible ("Bring It On"), but most simply forgettable ("Dick," "Small Soldiers").
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Freed from the lightweight constraints of the likes of Bring It On , Dunst exhibits impressive dramatic depth (echoing her work in The Virgin Suicides ).
In the ever-evolving Kirsten Dunst oeuvre, crazy/beautiful isn’t as nearly neat as Bring It On or Dick, or as sublime as The Virgin Suicides , but neither is it as lamentable as Get Over It or The Crow: Salvation.
As in " The Virgin Suicides ", her intelligent, complex performance makes Nicole a charming, frustrating, pathetic, and ballsy protagonist worthy of screen time.
And to prove what a chameleon she can be, Dunst has played everything from an ageless vampire (1994's "Interview with the Vampire"), to an alluring early-20th century debutante (2000's "Lover's Prayer"), to a suicidal teenager (2000's "The Virgin Suicides"), to an overly giddy cheerleader (2000's "Bring It On").
Kirsten Dunst ( "The Virgin Suicides," "Bring It on" and "Drop Dead Gorgeous"), one of our smartest young actresses, has chosen yet another role that allows her to do something different.