“Like Crazy”
4 out of 5 Pitchforks
Paramount Vantage
Released: Oct. 28
For indie romance dramas, we’ve had the snarky “500 Days of Summer,” the tragic “Blue Valentine” and now the heartrending “Like Crazy.” “Like Crazy” is a deeply personal and heartbreaking story that gives a candid look at the problematic nature of young love. Director Drake Doremus skillfully portrays how real love is as breathtaking and blissful as it is overwhelming and ruinous.
When Anna (Felicity Jones), a British college student, falls for her American classmate, Jacob (Anton Yelchin), the two have an intense and passionate relationship but also face the challenges of being in love and being apart. The looming expiration date of Anna's visa conflicts with the development of her relationship with Jacob and so she rashly decides to stay a few extra months. When she has to return to England, the couple’s future is thrown into question. As they consider their options, their sentiment for each other builds as does the emotional strife. Their tangle with outside romantic interests also leads to a cringing tension between the two.
The relationship is mostly developed through inference as Doremus crafted the movie with mindful gaps and clips. Certain stylistic flourishes show the passage of time. The film also focuses on the observational details of a doomed relationship, though it is not relentlessly bleak. The sweetly sincere scenes keep you hooked.
The increasing strain between the lovers offers an excellent showcase for both Yelchin and Jones indelible on-screen chemistry. Yelchin depicts a vulnerability that highlights his character’s reserved nature. Jones aptly shows a spontaneous naïvete that is both endearing and problematic. Through completely improvised dialogue, the pair illustrates how beautiful, addictive and debilitating love is.
The movie is not without its flaws, though. The plot occasionally meanders along when their connection begins to fray; however, the realistic situations and heartfelt dialogue outweighs the undernourished parts.
The success of the movie draws on the audience’s ability to relate to the two lovers. With a typical love story, you usually empathize with one character more than the other, but “Like Crazy” makes this difficult to do.
Reach the reporter at mgrichar@asu.edu
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