Crazy As Hell


2/4

Starring: Michael Beach, Eriq La Selle, Ronny Cox, John C. McGinley, Sinbad

Rated R for Some Strong Sexual Content, Violent Images, and Language

Eriq La Selle has made a name for himself on television, both as an actor (he was Dr. Peter Benton on the hit NBC series “ER”) and as a director (he has directed a number of TV episodes of various shows).  With “Crazy as Hell,” La Selle has ventured into the area of film, but unfortunately the demands for this medium exceed La Selle’s skill.  While it’s true that some of the blame has to go to Jeremy Leven’s script (and possibly his novel that he based it upon), it’s clear that the task of creating a compelling psychological thriller exceeds his grasp.

Dr. Ty Adams (Beach) is a renowned psychiatrist with a dark past.  He has been recruited to Sedah State Hospital to make a documentary on his techniques, much to the chagrin of Sedah’s administrator, Dr. Selazo (Cox).  Shortly after he arrives, a man checks himself into the hospital.  This isn’t particularly out of the ordinary, but the man is calm, rational, intelligent and highly articulate.  Even stranger is that he calls himself Satan.  Adams thinks that he can get through to him, but his methods are controversial and there are signs that the good doctor may not be as stable as he thinks he is.

The acting, populated mainly by character actors and TV stars, is adequate for the film’s purposes, but no one is really crying out for Oscar attention.  Or even a career boost.  Michael Beach, who is more at home playing arrogant and powerful men than anything else (he was good in his guest stint on “Law and Order: SVU,” but horrible in “One False Move”), is effective, but nothing more.  I suppose it’s not entirely his fault since his character is inconsistent, but there you have it.  Ronny Cox is good as the rule-abiding doctor who prefers medication over therapy (unlike Adams).  This gives the film an interesting subtext, but not much is done with it.  John C. McGinley is his usual off-the-wall self as the director of the documentary, but to my frustration, this subplot is entirely superfluous.  Without it, the movie would be exactly the same, only shorter (which would have been a definite plus).  Likewise, Sinbad is also wasted.  In the right role, Sinbad can be hilarious (like in the Arnold Schwarzenegger Christmas comedy “Jingle All The Way”), but here he’s given nothing to do.

The bright spot, however, is La Selle.  La Selle is quite good as The Man.  He’s perfectly mysterious, and La Selle works hard to create his personality, using feminine mannerisms to give him a more androgynous personality.  The film takes off whenever he’s on screen, but unfortunately, his role is strictly supporting.

As strong as he is a performer, it’s unfortunate that his skills to not translate to his work behind the camera.  La Selle’s approach is clinical, and there is a distinct lack of atmosphere that would have made this a truly involving film.  There are some narrative hiccups, and the ending makes no sense.  There is also a great deal of character inconsistency with Beach’s character that neither Beach nor La Selle can overcome.  Considering what happened to him before the film began, it’s unlikely that Adams would be as conceited as he is.  Honestly, La Selle should have demanded another rewrite to smooth out the rough edges of the script.

“Crazy as Hell” is not a total disaster.  It is watchable, and La Selle always keeps things interesting when he’s on screen, but I can’t recommend it.

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