Fresh out of high school, Roslyn (an appealing performance by the luscious Alicia Silverstone) and Michael (a likable portrayal by Jared Leto) get married and have a baby, but aren't happy with each other. Things become worse when Roslyn's brash best gal pal Joanie (delightfully played with tart relish by Jennifer Blanc) encourages Roslyn to have an extramarital affair with bad boy Joey (smoothly essayed with cocksure cool by Matthew Flint). Writer/director Ralph Bakshi relates the engrossing story at a brisk pace, offers a flavorsome, yet unsentimental evocation of the 50's period setting, maintains a dark serious tone throughout, and vividly captures a strong mood of despair and restlessness. Moreover, Bakshi doesn't punk out with some kind of fake upbeat ending and does a masterful job with a sequence set on the beach in which Joey seduces Roslyn. Nice supporting contributions from Christine Harnos as sultry beatnik Lorraine, Tuesday Knight as the sassy Brenda, and John Hawkes as the raucous Crazy. Kudos are also in order for the spot-on golden oldies soundtrack and Roberto Schaeffer's vibrant color cinematography. Worth a watch.
Review of Cool and the Crazy
