Crazy Love — This is a documentary about a man who was so obsessively possessive of his ex-girlfriend that he lied to her about divorcing his wife, paid guys to beat her up so she’d feel frightened enough to run back to him, and, most shockingly of all, hired a thug to throw lye in her face, leaving her blind and disfigured at 22. And it’s funny! That’s one of the most astounding elements of Crazy Love — the way in which director Dan Klores takes a horrific tale, which provided juicy fodder for the New York tabloids nearly 50 years ago, and consistently finds its innate humour. It helps a great deal that Burton Pugach and Linda Riss, now 80 and 70 years old respectively, are a long-time husband and wife who revel in the attention their bizarre relationship has drawn. They’re great storytellers with a great story to tell; their friends and relatives are also complete characters. Klores cleverly combines photographs, footage and fitting music (for example, You’ Really Got a Hold on Me<$>), and while he keeps things moving, the commentary can get a little repetitive. PG-13 for language including sexual references, and mature thematic elements. 92 min. Three stars out of four. — Christy Lemire