Crystal Fairy & the Magical Cactus (2013)
Starring: Michael Cera, Gaby Hoffman, Juan Andres Silva
Writer and Director: Sebastian Silva
Synopsis (IFC):
Jamie is a boorish American
twenty-something traveling in Chile, who somehow manages to create
chaos at every turn. He coaxes three Chilean brothers into
accompanying him on a road trip north to experience a legendary
shamanistic hallucinogen called the San Pedro cactus. In a fit of
drunkenness at a wild party, Jamie invites an eccentric American
woman – a radical spirit named Crystal Fairy – to come along.
What is meant to be a devil-may-care
journey becomes a battle of wills as Jamie finds himself locking
horns with his new traveling companion. But on a remote, pristine
beach at the edge of the desert, the magic brew is finally imbibed,
and the true adventure begins – and it's more than any of these
newfound friends bargained for.
Review:
While I can say that enjoyed the
experience of Crystal Fairy, it's probably not something I will ever
watch again. Or at least not anytime soon. That sounds weird, right?
I liked it, but don't care to see it again. At the end of the day, LIKE isn't as strong as LOVE. When I love a movie, I'll watch it over
and over to an unhealthy extent. I've seen Donnie Darko around 20
times, if not more. I've watched Only God Forgives and Lords of Salem
five times this year. I love those films for one reason or another.
It's wild to trap yourself inside those worlds. If I trap
myself in the world of Crystal Fairy, I'm hanging out with an asshole
version of Michael Cera for 100 minutes. I'd rather be with the
'always the same person' Michael Cera. At least he's usually a nice
guy. Asshole Cera makes this adventure kinda taxing.
That being said, and this is sure to
confuse, but this is probably my favorite Michael Cera performance
outside of Scott Pilgrim. It's just a totally different type of role
for him, and he does a great job with it. Jamie is self absorbed and will
go to any lengths to get fucked up proper off of the San Pedro. What
makes him so unlikable is how he treats
the bizarre Crystal Fairy on their adventure for the cactus. It's
downright nasty every step of the way. And he constantly drags the
three brothers off to the side, seeing to it that they let him know
if she annoys, as he'll take care of it. He's more bothered than
anyone that Fairy came along for the trip, and HE'S the idiot who
invited her. Sure, he may have been off-his-rocker drunk and coked out,
but still... accept that she's there, and stop being such a dick.
Ultimately, Jamie is way more annoying than Crystal Fairy
could ever be.
So, it's basically a job well done that
I hate Cera's character so much, because he makes him so hateable. Not because of under-performing, but because he shreds in the role. Crystal
Fairy is played by child actress all grown up, Gaby Hoffman. Fairy,
like Jamie, is not really a person I would want to be stuck with on a
road trip. But at least she, while definitely annoying, has good
intentions. There's not a mean bone in her body. Crystal Fairy's
biggest problem is she tries too hard, and this makes her and Jamie
clash big time. The three brothers, Pilo, Lel, and Lobo (played by
Agustin, Jose, and writer/director Sebastian Silva), who are all
delightful, seem rather fascinated with her eccentricities. Anyway,
Gaby Hoffman is grand in the role. The character honestly seems like
a stranger you'd meet at a party or somewhere random. It doesn't feel
made up at all, and Hoffman is why.
Final Thoughts:
That's about the size of it. Crystal
Fairy isn't the best of all drug infused road trip movies, but it's not the worst, either. It's part funny – not in a laugh-out-loud
manner – and part dramatic, so much at one point that it tugs at
the heartstrings. Now available on DVD and Blu-ray from IFC Films.
Also currently streaming on Netflix.
- Eric (Brobocop)
