LIKE CRAZY (2011)

 









Directed By: Drake Doremus 
Written By: Drake Doremus & Ben York Jones 
Cinematography By: John Guleserian 
Editor: Jonathan Alberts 

Cast: Anton Yelchin, Felicity Jones, Jennifer Lawrence, Chris Messina, Ben York Jones, Finola Hughes, Alex Kingston


Anna and Jacob fall instantly in love when they meet as students at an L.A. university, But Anna is British and when graduation approaches, Anna decides to stay and violate her Student visa rather than returning to England. After a visit home, she is then unable to return to the United States. While fighting customs and immigration battles, Anna and Jacob must decide if their relationship is worth the distance and the hardship.

The close-ups and hand held are not only there for us to witness the blossoming romance, but to be right there almost immersed into the emotions so that we feel the intense intimacy alongside the two.

Like a relationship we jump into the film. Not knowing too much about both of our leads but as the film goes on we slowly find out back-stories and personalities of the two of them.

They are not the most interesting characters, because of that we identify with them. We are supposed to be fascinated by their normalness and accessibility to identify with. The film keeps us only involved with them as long as the relationship lasts. It seems a lot of work and art and energy went into telling a story that seems simple, but becomes twisted every so often as do most romantic entanglements at times.

Though strangely the film feels like a signature one of a kind and as basic as it is, it doesn’t feel like a film that could be made by any other nor repeated.

I like difficult love stories that are more dramatic more than comedies. In comedies it’s easy to distract with hijinks supporting characters and putting the leads in extreme situations to note their behavior and see how they perform under pressure. Dramatic works have the characters initialize and react more than anything. Rather than get out more contented and about mood and acts.

You can only get as engaged as the characters and the performances. It would be easy to write this off as a hipster movie. While it uses cutting edge techniques. It is more engaging then most mumble core or movies of its type and genre. Films or youthful films. It doesn’t present an attitude or ambiguous ending, nor does it seem to church conventions. This film pulls you in the more you get involved.

One of the problems I had is the seeming lack of bad qualities of either character. I’m not asking for a film long display, but at least some glimpses and examples that neither is perfect or take away from their likeability factor. Anton Yelchin, who I enjoyed in HEARTS IN ATLANTIS really becomes a leading man he has always been a likeable screen presence, but here he really shows his chops. Leading me impressed though he is more of an internal actor.

Lily Collins Works as she seems to be an actress who can morph into not only any character, but any emotion she wants to convey with ease. She can be the girl next door, the bitch, the sex pot. It’s her seemingly ordinariness that sneaks up on you and impresses.

At the Toronto International Film Festival, the director admitted that much of the movie was improvised. The script outlined what would happen, but Felicity Jones and Anton Yelchin improvised much of their dialogue.

The film becomes frustrating as it seems each struggle seems that the world is anxious to pull the two characters apart. Which seems to stem from one youthful indiscretion of bad judgment.

Interesting that the films one truly graphic sex scene is not between the 2 leads. Almost like a statement that while lovemaking is part of a relationship. Sex is more something that is done, but might not be born purely of love, more out of lust and comfort. No matter what Happens Collins character always looks innocent.

The film feels epic at times even though it has been not too long of time. Feels longer then it should. I can say that the film isn’t typical in the least as once they finally find peace at last the future is still uncertain.

GRADE: B