Like Crazy

Movie rating: 4 Star

Yelchin and Jones are Jacob and Anna; a young couple who meet each other in college and quickly fall deeply in love. The problem is that Anna is from London and in Los Angeles on a student visa - thus she must return home for several months during the summer. When she decides to violate the terms of her visa and go back to the UK for a family visit, she's denied entry back into America and deported back home. Heartbroken, the couple try every conceivable way possible to make the long distance relationship work, while trying to get Anna back into the states.

A lovely film executed with an almost documentary-like looseness, Like Crazy doesn't just hit on themes of love and loss, but actually gets under the skin of its two main characters. Everyone has been in a relationship of a similar intensity so said characters are instantly relatable, and it's fitting that we don't really see much of their world outside of each other. Other players come into the picture, just like life, and (the amazing) Jennifer Lawrence is one of them. If there's one issue with Like Crazy she's it; a ridiculously hot and seemingly perfect colleague of Jacob's, Lawrence is a magnetic presence and ultimately distracting. That said, it's a small part of an otherwise wonderful film.

Watch: Like Crazy

I've never been completely sold on Yelchin as a leading man; he seems to be inching towards a young John Cusack in terms of persona and choice or roles, but lacks some of his affability. His work here is still great, and he and Jones have definite chemistry. The young British actress was very impressive in the otherwise uneventful Chalet Girls, and has a girl next store quality and a natural warmth that can't be taught in any acting school.

Drake Doremus has directed a film that's tonally spot on, and gotten superb work out of his cast. Not a conventional romantic drama and all the better for it.

Review by Mike Sheridan | 09:00 | Friday 27th January 2012 | Movie Review

Comments

• FilmBuff76

  With a lot of attention focused on The Descendants this week, it would be easy to overlook the other quality drama that's out. Like Crazy is a bittersweet story of young love caught amid the complexities of modern immigration law. Students Anna and Jacob fall for each other hard but find themselves separated by continents and time zones when Anna overstays her US visa and has to return home to England. Other romantic interests enter their lives but yet their love for each other just won't go away... The film covers quite a long time period over its slim 90 minutes, but there's a touching honesty and sincerity to it. These two are clearly meant to be together but find it hard to make it work. The ending has some impact and leaves you wondering as the credits roll - is true love worth fighting for? Well-acted by Anton Yelchin and the up-and-coming Felicity Jones, Like Crazy is a fine film which, like Blue Valentine, will no doubt provoke discussion afterwards. Recommended.

  Posted 20:53 | Sun 29th Jan 2012

• ellegibbons

  I enjoy romantic comedies but this feel flat, poor acting throughout, and patchy storyline, left me wondering what actually did happen. No wonder this movie was only shown in selected cinemas. I wouldnt even bother renting!

  Posted 10:07 | Mon 13th Feb 2012

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