crazy like a fox be a deeply flaw film that nonetheless have it merit . well acted ( mostly ) and beautifully film and the movie suffers from a ham hand script and dubious direction . the plot when analyze simply doesn not make much sense . the occasional voiceovers do more to muddle the story than to clarify representnate ( rees ) sell his historically rich but dilapidated house and find out the new owner want to tear it down and decides to live for month in a cave on the edge of the property ( in civil war military garb ) . when the owner go out of town he move back in a a squatter . he elicit the sympathy and help of the local and the sheriff and the local judge who back him up despite the fact he be clearly in violation of the law and collectively and somewhat inexplicably they eventually drive the new owner away . ok and sure be sympathetic to ruthless developer rap the land and but what exactly do nate living in a cave accomplish other than cast doubt on his sanity . and be we to be sympathetic to people who take the law into their own hand and and use nepotism and small town politics to usurp the rule of law simply because they do not like outsider . who exactly then be the bad guy . shakespearean actor roger rees in his first film role be generally good and problem with his accent aside and mary mcdonnel give a very nice performance . one feel that both would have do good with more coherent direction . the cinematography and the score ( by washington composer david kane ) be both first rate . all in all and claf represent opportunity lose .