User Reviews

Crazy Like a Fox is a deeply flawed film that nonetheless has its merits. Well acted (mostly) and beautifully filmed, the movie suffers from a ham handed script and dubious direction. The plot when analyzed simply doesn't make much sense. The occasional voiceovers do more to muddle the story than to clarify:

Nate (Rees) sells his historically rich but dilapidated house, finds out the new owners want to tear it down and decides to live for months in a cave on the edge of the property (in Civil War military garb). When the owners go out of town he moves back in as a squatter. He elicits the sympathy and help of the locals, the sheriff and the local judge who back him up despite the fact he is clearly in violation of the law and collectively and somewhat inexplicably they eventually drive the new owners away.

OK, sure we're sympathetic to ruthless developers raping the land, but what exactly did Nate living in a cave accomplish other than cast doubt on his sanity? And are we to be sympathetic to people who take the law into their own hands, and use nepotism and small town politics to usurp the rule of law simply because they don't like outsiders? Who exactly then are the bad guys?

Shakespearean actor Roger Rees in his first film role is generally good, problems with his accent aside and Mary McDonnel gives a very nice performance. One feels that both would have done better with more coherent direction. The cinematography and the score (by Washington composer David Kane) are both first rate.

All in all, CLAF represents opportunities lost.

There is nothing complex about "Crazy Like A Fox". It is the straightforward story, really a fairy tale, of a man who through bad luck or being irresponsible, or both, is forced to sell his historically rich Virginia farm. Most certainly the entire movie is both unrealistic, and yet at the same time quite charming. If at times it seems a bit too "warm and fuzzy", that is because it is. The yuppies seem to give up way too easy, and the joyous singing and dancing is overdone. The performances are fine, the scenery is beautiful, but the story lacks realism and depth. I would not call this a comedy, it is more a family feel good movie that will appeal to some, while others will most likely be dozing off. - MERK

Nothing at the 2004 Savannah Film Festival was quite as frustrating to watch as the non-dimensional, feature-length helping of twisted Southern principles, "Crazy Like a Fox." The plot: A man sells his house to rich snobs and, after being tricked, changes his mind. He manages to conjure up the support of his fellow Southern folk in an effort to drive the outsiders out of their town. U.K. actor Roger Rees plays Nat Banks, a Virginian farmer who even after living his whole life in the South still hasn't been able to stop speaking with a British accent (seriously, he does, and without explanation).

The bad guys, played like cartoon characters, manage to purchase Nat's house fairly and squarely. Unable to deal, Nat begins camping out on their property. Eventually, he musters the courage to seize the house with the support of the police, judges and anyone else who doesn't care about breaking the law.

Perplexing and ultimately unsettling, "Crazy Like a Fox" argues that law, order and a free market are not valued in Virginia and that rich, snobby people are mean and should be kicked out of small towns. More astounding than this movie being accepted into the film festival is the fact that someone, somewhere, funded this 98-minute disaster.

I saw Mr. Squires film, "Crazy Like A Fox", in Leesburg, Virginia two years ago at a special screening.

I am a filmmaker of mostly documentaries and a transplanted Yankee, who, while watching the film was moved to tears several times – something that never happens.

The message in this film, to me, is a strong sense of the loss of ones home, of land, of tradition, of pride, of culture, of history, and of the environment because of suburban sprawl that is driven by quick cash and greed.

In the opening of the movie it could easily have read, "This film is based on a true story", because this tale is happening all over Northern Virginia right now! The beauty of Virginia's piedmont region is captured well. These visuals, juxtaposed with the voice-over speaking of tradition, family, and roots sent chills through me.

The acting, editing, and directing ranged from good to great.

This film exemplifies the all-too-real land-rape of today created by speculators, developers, and local governments. Someday I hope to personally meet Mr. Squires and thank him for his great work and even greater message.

I was delighted to be part of the audience when this film was shown in Washington, DC,at the National Museum of Women in the Arts. The storyline reflected a frequently overlooked "scenario" that is part of many small, southern towns, i.e., the mandatory sale of large, plantation style houses because they are too expensive to maintain in today's economy. I thought each of the actors demonstrated an "honest" portrayal of the emotions and internal conflicts that would be a part of this kind of situation, especially when these homes have been in families for many generations. I also think this movie was sensitive to another part of this scenario that is seldom addressed, because in today's world it is not considered "politically correct." In many instances, some of these changes adversely affected the domestic staff, because they considered themselves to be part of these families. With that being said, I think that Myrrh Cauthen gave dignity and honesty to the role of the housekeeper. And, this story was carried out amid the beautiful scenery that is part of rural Virginia. Great Job.

One of the most beautiful opening sequences ever filmed starts this movie out on a positive note. The actors are so well cast that you will find it hard to believe they are acting. The young and beautiful villains are so very, very real. At the same time the "hero" is older and not very well shaven, but you feel his pain with every scene. He embodies several generations of Southern Gentlemen. He loves his home, his land and his heritage with a love that is palpable and endlessly enduring.

This story wrenches your emotions this way and that as practicality takes a backseat to honor. The well-fare of his well loved previous employees hangs in the balance. A threat to the very existence of his family home forces the hero to make some unusual decisions and bend the law considerably.

The photography is superb. It is both moving and heart-wrenching when one knows that so much of that same land is about to be paved over with "progress". Nature is given a brilliant part in the over all list of characters. And what an actress she turns out to be!

This film should be required "watching" for anyone thinking of exchanging city living for a country experience. Can you tell? I LOVED this film. See it and judge for yourself!

I loved this film. Crazy Like a Fox will touch all of your emotions. A perfect blend of humor and drama. It is hard to compare this film to others I've seen. It is certainly in the league of Funny Bones, and Napoleon Dynamite, but with even more of a heart.

In an infuriatingly plausible plot, Nat Banks (Roger Rees) plays the perfect champion of an individual's right to be brave, stubborn, and insane in a fight to hold on to tradition, honor, and the past. Despite Banks' methods, you root for him (and his long suffering family) to the end. Equally, CLF was beautifully shot, in a way which brings out the beauty of the south.

Richard Squires has written and directed an intelligent, original, and perfectly paced film. More than any other in the past several years, I reflect upon the scenes of this film.

I loved this movie. I live in an area where the surrounding countryside is being eaten up by fast-growing townhouse communities and their accompanying shopping malls, and where most of the local legislators are too busy slurping at the real estate developers' trough to take any notice of the fast-fading farmland. Crazy Like a Fox shows what happens when neighbors unite to help one of their friends, played wonderfully by Roger Rees. Rees, who mistrusts everyone including his own wife and his good friend the real estate agent , fights back against the forced sale of his estate by moving to a cave on the property. Somehow, Rees manages to make that bizarre action seem like the only rational choice.

Christina Rouner and Paul Fitzgerald, as the wealthy city lawyers who are clearly looking to make even bigger bucks in real estate investments, are terrific. Not only do they look the part -- young, attractive, well-dressed -- but they are both able to convey the subtle signs of "I'm- ever- so- much- better- than- you- are-ism" without forcing the issue. And Howard Koons (in what I gather must be his first movie role) is absolutely wonderful as the hired hand, lack of teeth and all.

Right up there with the acting is the photography. It is achingly beautiful, capturing the Virginia countryside in all its glory. The score, written by the director, is perfect.

Even if your town isn't (yet) threatened by developers, Crazy Like a Fox should still be on your list. This is a thoughtful, beautiful and sometimes very funny movie you'll think about long after the last credit has faded from view.

I was pleased to screen this film at my festival:

The Santa Fe

Film Festival... this is a quirky and heart felt dramedy with a strong message. The acting is terrific.

I love the tone. A great story. Definitely worth seeing. You root for the hero. You feel pride for the cause. You can feel the scenery. I also like the feel of times past.

Mary Mcdonnell is a gem. The male lead is also addicting. What a wonderful face. I loved this film. Very well directed. A unique film unlike anything I've ever seen.

All the world loves a lover and comedy tries to take us into a green world. This movie gives us both. The hero of Crazy Like a Fox loves his literally ancestral home and its traditions and his world is emerald Virginia.

This heart-whole and superbly photographed movie allows its audience to relax. They know or intuit that they're in good hands. The calm authority of director Richard Squires focuses on the human heart and what makes it beat, avoiding tricks, attention-grabbing gimmicks and the latest trend. Instead, he gives his attention to working with Roger Rees, Mary McDonnell and a skilfully selected ensemble cast to create a world of persons, loyalties, friendships and dignified passions. Many movies come from toolkits. This story comes up out of the soil and the traditions of the state that has given us eight presidents and -- although a modern story set in the present -- gives you an idea of what you have to mix together to get a Jefferson or a Washington.

Down here in the "Old South," (northern Virginia), a promise is a promise. And if buyers of a forced-sale property renege on theirs to its previous owners, revenge should be savored. That's the premise behind "Crazy Like a Fox," and for everyone who has ever let practicality triumph over intuition, farmer Nat's revenge is sweet indeed. Roger Rees is hilarious, and the rest of the cast -- 90% of them local -- does a terrific job, too. This movie is a must-see not just for Southerners (old or young). It's for anyone from a place where former country roads are now six-lane Interstates, all exits leading to gated communities sprouting new red brick monstrosities cheek-to-jowl in treeless one-time cornfields. Thankfully, the photography is terrific, too -- because this countryside is vanishing so quickly that photos may soon be all we have left of it. A great movie that sticks with you.

I give this one a 9. That's a rating that makes all my friends immediately run out and see it.

Roger Rees is an 8th generation Virginian. Crushing debt is forcing him to sell his homeplace. The young couple who offer to buy the house and farm seem to be as good a solution to the problems as one could hope for--they say that they will not demolish the old house, they will not subdivide the farm and put up McMansions on it, they'll keep Rees and his family on as caretakers and employ all those that Rees has had helping him. We have their word on it. He's a lawyer; she's a realtor.

Yuppie scum.

Nat (Rees) is forced to make the deal, but he can't bring himself to leave his homeplace. While his wife and children move into town, he sets up residence in a cave near the river on the property. Before it's all over, half the world seems to become involved.

It's pure fantasy. If only reality could be like this. I love this movie, and it's going to be a personal favorite.

The dialogue is excellent, the cinematography is luscious and wonderful, the acting (even by the yuppy scum) is perfect, the scenery is lovely.