Crazy About You, more aptly titled The Naked Wanderer literally everywhere other than the United States, is an Aussie-flavored take on the romantic comedy. I will be the first to admit that I absolutely adore the rom-com subgenre, and will happily lap up the tiniest of table scraps in the pursuit of seeking out a good one. Thus we come to the quirky world of Crazy About You, far off the well-worn mainstream path. Yet, it is still simply content in embracing all the rom-com conventions without doing anything with them. For some, this may be enough to simply be adequate instead of aspiring for greatness. I felt like the creative team was holding back, almost to the point where we have merely one big Australian tourism commercial.
Jake (cutie Angus McLaren) blindfolds his girlfriend, Jasmine (Megan Smart), taking her on a dream date: swimming with dolphins. In the midst of his proposal to Jasmine on the same date, she tells him in response, “I wanted to break up with you today.” Jasmine says she needs someone more daring and all-around “more” than Jake. What better way to win her back than to embark on a 2.5 thousand kilometer walk across Australia? Media guru and hated-by-the-general-public figure, Brian King (John Cleese), is willing to endorse Jake’s walk ($200,000!), with only one condition. Jake must be “the naked wanderer,” making his travels wearing nothing but a loincloth. Lots of Jake nudity, mostly from behind, is imminent. He draws attention everywhere he goes, and transforms into a something of a celebrity. Valerie (Natasha Liu Bordizzo) is a fellow backpacker who catches Jake’s eye. Naturally, a love triangle is born when Jasmine comes back around, suddenly interested. Will he choose the woman he has desired all along, or this newfound romantic spark?
The plot is threadbare, but with a movie originally called The Naked Wanderer, I did not have high hopes for this angle. I simply wanted a laugh or two, ample eye candy, and a cute love story. With the barest of expectations in place, Crazy About You delivers just about what one would expect. Somewhere along the way, Jake has to pee on himself after being stung by a jellyfish while swimming in the nude. He gets bit by a snake, shits himself, and gets dragged unconscious along rocky terrain. These are not the most original hijinks, though their distinct Aussie flavor does at least set this movie apart in that respect. The love story is too weak to leave a lasting impression—if, like me, you are just in want of a simple cute rom-com, you will doubtless finish this movie and simply mutter, “oh okay, that was cute.” At least it is complemented by the backdrop of the gorgeous Australian outback, eh mate?
Crazy About You dons only a loincloth when it comes to on Demand and Digital September 28 from Saban Films.
