SanFernandoCurt Wow! This film is so full of laugh-out-loud moments it's almost a comedy. And that left me rattled long after it was over, and I'd reconsidered the zany goings-on of a self-made millionaire lawyer maiming the beautiful woman who scorned him. BLINDED HER! Ooo. Hell hath no fury like an officer of the court told to go fly a kite. Then, years later, they get back together and tie the knot. Marry! ("Prison really muscled him up.") And THEN... long after that... he's accused of cheating on her with another woman, who he plots to kill after SHE dumps him. His infamies aren't crimes of passion. They're very, very bad habits! Part of the appeal is the setting - NOO Yawk nouveau riche - and the stunning scope of the story, spanning late-'50s to present (the unfortunate female, Linda Riss, was splashed with acid in 1959, the crime committed by thugs hired by her erstwhile lover, attorney Burt Pagach).But in the hands of the filmmakers, Pagach's astoundingly atrocious behavior is practically laughed off as a charming eccentricity. Or... maybe... the producers were as dumbfounded charting these two bizarre people as I was watching them. At times, Pagach is portrayed as almost romantically valiant. "He could still see the beauty in her," one of their gossipy friends says in a tone very close to admiration. Other talking heads (they provide some of the biggest laughs in the film) include legendary journalist Jimmy Breslin, who pronounces Pagach "insane". Bingo, Jimmy.The pop-song soundtrack grounds the proceedings in specific eras, although the choice of Elvis' "Burning Love" over the final credits is tasteless. And, yes, an irresistible choice.

ccthemovieman-1 This may be the most amazing true-life documentary I've ever seen. If it wasn't all true, I'd never believe it. Who would? This is an insane "love story," and it really happened. Ask the citizens of New York City who lived through this tabloid story. I'm sure they couldn't believe it, either, but it was headline news in their area for quite a while.I hesitate to say too much for those who haven't watched this, but I highly recommend this DVD. The filmmakers did an outstanding job in presenting all the major figures in this fascinating tale of twisted lovers....and "twisted" is putting it mildly, especially in regard to the chief male: Burt Pugach, who is one of the most despicable no-conscience people I've ever seen. If you have a low opinion of lawyers, you'll really appreciate this story! The female part of this bizarre "love" story is Linda Riis. She's the first person you see on camera and, from the first sentence on, you think incredulously "who is this?!" The weird sunglasses, eyebrows, obvious wig and brutally-frank New York directness and accent hits you like a truck. Her story, and from her perspective, is the most amazing of them all. Everyone else that follows - Burt and Linda's friends and associates - are almost as riveting. These are all real people, not actors.Trust me: you have to see this to believe it. If crazy people, obsession, romance, crime, loneliness, comedy, etc., are all something you find entertaining, this documentary has all of it. It might also disgust you that human beings can be so pathetic.I couldn't stop shaking my head in disbelief after this watching this documentary. Kudos to everyone involved in this film for a job very well done.

Michael O'Keefe I fell for the hype and viewed nothing that I expected. I just didn't find it shocking or outrageous in content. In more or less a documentary style is the telling of a very weird romance. The married 32 year old Burt Pugach, a nerdy looking attorney of sorts and a jack of several trades puts his eyes on an attractive 20 year old sweet girl from the Bronx named Linda. It was love at first sight. Maybe a bit one sided in favor of Burt. Linda didn't stop the whirlwind romance that was a roller-coaster ride of pretense and obsession. Their marriage was a saga of violent and psychological abuse that headlined newspapers and magazines in the late 1950s. It was a complex coupling to say the least and director Dan Klores with the couple examine those turbulent times almost fifty years later. This film is an example of making craziness seem mundane.

john-quel When I first encountered the story of Burt and Linda Pugach, some many years ago, in the paper back edition of Burt's biography, what I read on the cover I simply could not believe. At first I thought it was a novel, some kind of elaborate publishing hoax with a rather sick premise, but gradually I came to realize this was for real. I didn't buy the book, I confess. I treated it like it was radioactive and after a few minutes I put gingerly in back on the rack thinking: no good can come from this. But, I never forgot the essence of the story. What did it say about them, us, everyone? So when the documentary was finally made I jumped at the chance to see it.The DVD is probably the way to go with this story, not watching it in theaters. It is just to intimate, in all the senses of the word, a tale. Watch it all, cut scenes, features etc. Most of all, make sure you listen to the commentary track. At the end, you will then be able decide for yourself. Personally, I think the documentary did their story as fairly and as in depth as could be done. It really is an outstanding achievement. It frustrates some people however because it must seem the truth is missing: this story is so off the scale, so far beyond "Freudian," that while it is tempting to make psychological assessments, don't. The overwhelming majority of people are not competent to do so -- I'm certainly not -- and one would advise against it in any event. Here are two people who themselves probably, even after fifty years of living with the story, have no idea what really happened. But they are living whatever it was, and that is all they or we need to know.As for Burt, he remains one scary dude, as the director himself would find out first hand, yet one cannot help but respect him, in a way. He is a survivor with a strong element of luck in his life, if that is correct way to put it. He certainly suffered, both before and after his crime, but whether he suffered enough I leave to others to judge. He's smart, resourceful, and in a word indeed "obsessed." "Determined" doesn't quite seem to say it about Burt. For someone who is 80, he comes across as sharp and tough as ever. Given all that he has been through and all that he has done, this is no small accomplishment.I should point out that Burt does at times appear callous and indifferent to Linda's blindness (a point the director himself makes in the commentary), but I can't help but wonder if he simply does not see Linda as she is now, but only sees her as she was in the late 1950's. The documentary seems to come to that conclusion as well. Love is blind, in more ways than one. Certainly forgiveness is, if it is to be worthy of the name.As for Linda, she's an old-fashioned girl who was saving herself for the right monster and one day Mr. Wrong did come along. Nevertheless, I confess I like her. She is obviously quite talented, intelligent, witty and every bit Burt's match in toughness. But as with Burt, I'm relieved I never had to interact with either of them. I care for them both, however, and certainly one of the most amazing things about "Crazy Love" is the degree we come to view both of them as human beings. This is not a freak show. There is so much suffering in the world if these two people can hold on to some measure of happiness given their history, then more power to them. I think as a viewer, you can't help but hope the best for them and at the end of the film wonder what will happen to the other when either of them dies.