Too Much Talking Head? Not For These Crazy Lovers!

The talking head, to me, is probably one of the most over-used devices in documentary film today. Just to be clear, I've used talking heads as well, and I'd be a huge hypocrite if I said otherwise. They're convenient and explanatory, but often times they leave me desiring more. On occasion, a documentary will shoot a talking head to make it more visually appealing. Still, I'd rather see more of life unfolding as it happens. Then again, when the life you're documenting has already unfolded, you're either going to have to get mighty creative or embrace the talking head. The following film review fits into the latter category, and it succeeds based solely on its incredible story.

The film I speak of is Crazy Love. At 92 minutes, the film is almost entirely talking head interviews, and these talking heads are very traditional. Thank goodness for the story, which is so incredibly strange that I had a hard time believing it true till I confirmed everything on the internet. Basically, the story follows an obsessive man, as he stops at nothing to win the love of a girl that's quickly slipping away. To make a long story short, he throws acid in her face. Yeah . . . not your typical sign of affection. This isn't anywhere near the strangest aspect of the story, which contains more twists and turns that an M. Night Shyamalan film.

The film proves (at least for me) that all you need to make an engaging doc is a great story. There's absolutely nothing special visually about Crazy Love, but I only realized this much later. In the meantime, I was so engaged in the complexities of the narrative that I had a hard time turning my head from the screen (even though I wouldn't have missed anything, visually). Films like these provide me much comfort, as they reassure me that I don't need the latest and greatest technology, just a storyteller's vision. In fact, some of my favorites docs have been lacking on the visual side (ie Ghengis Blues) but far made up for this with character. We shouldn't be thinking red, red, red; we should be thinking story, story, story. That's just my opinion. I'm sure other's would frown upon my advice. Nonetheless, do yourself a favor and check out Crazy Love (and don't read a word about on the internet)!