If you’re after a straight-forward, easy-to-follow romantic picture here, you won’t be disappointed. An independent film, ‘Like Crazy’ has an archetypal Romeo and Juliet-esque storyline with a strong sense of realism and a great cast. Anna is an English student studying in LA when she meets Jacob. They fall in love but she over-runs her student visa, is deported back to London and banned from re-entering the States. The rest of the film follows the two characters as they battle to make a long distance relationship work but naturally things begin to fall apart despite willingness from both sides. ‘Will they? Won’t they?’ – you get the idea.
The storyline itself is a cliché but what really makes this film stand out are the performances from the two leads; relative-newcomer Anton Yelchin and the painfully pretty Felicity Jones. Both of the young actors handled the highly emotive script with ease as the film served as a real insight into the intimacies of young love. The way in which the actors portray both the highs and lows of a relationship are strikingly real and some scenes hit you like a freight train with much of the dialogue being improvised. It is no surprise that it won the Grand Jury prize at Sundance, along with several other awards for Jones who will undoubtedly use this as a platform to propel her to superstardom as she effortlessly plays the vulnerable yet confident Anna with shades of early Audrey Hepburn.
The obvious comparisons to this film are ‘Blue Valentine’ and ‘500 Days of Summer’, other indie documentations of modern relationships, and I would say that the two are superior on the basis of the ending, which I feel could be stronger in ‘Like Crazy’ (I won’t ruin it for you). Also lacking is the depth in character from Anna’s family who serve as the American caricature of a British family; middle class, tea, crumpets, whisky etc which seemed sloppy as other than that, the accuracy of the film is one of its major assets.
However, regardless of whether you like independent cinema, are a student, or have been in a long-distance relationship, I’d strongly recommend this film on the basis of its performances and its authenticity as it reveals the despair, smiles and tears of every youthful romance.
Pearsé Connery
Tags: Anton Yelchin, Felicity Jones, Like Crazy, long distance, romance, Romeo and Juliet, visa
