Review of Like Crazy (2011) by Calum R — 30 May 2012

Directed by Drake Doremus and starring Felicity Jones and Anlton Yelchin, Like Crazy follows the story of a British student who falls for an American studying in the USA, only to be separated when she outstays her visa.

With the sudden increase in somewhat awful romantic 'Tween' drama's, with the likes of Zac Efron at the prominent forefront. The genre has developed a slightly bad name for itself, with audiences expecting a dull film with a generic, predictable and corny plot line. However what 'Like Crazy' offers is something quite different, something new, fresh and exciting. Contrary to other recent romantic dramas, 'Like Crazy' is realistic, telling the story of a true love between two people, without the slushy nonsense of unrealistic tattle.

The sad thing is however that, by no fault of the film, I was waiting for that moment where 'a corny line is delivered when she surprises him at the airport' but it never came. I'd seen so many terrible films of this genre that it had completely changed my perception of what is realistic and what is just garbage! I think it's fair to say that Like Crazy has restored my faith and view of the genre!

The acting within the films is mostly brilliant, with performances that give a realistic 'kick' to the film, making the scenes of emotion all the more emotional, giving a realistic depiction of young minds in love, displaying characters which the audience actually cared for.

There are however some aspects of the film which I did not like, the main problems within the film being the pacing and it's repetition. This film moved way too fast, with every 10 minutes producing a completely new mindset from each of the characters, although this could have been seen as a positive point, at a cinematic point of view it just gets frustrating. Furthermore a factor that contributes to the pace of the film, is the frequent use of 'time-lapsing', which actually for the majority of the film works to great effect, yet at other parts, you want to slow down and see each moment 'minute-by-minute' The film also seemed to repeat itself , showing scenes of sentimentality, then a scene of regret, then sadness, then back to sentimentality, and so on. The film just keeped going in circles, leaving you, at times, thinking 'where are we' or 'I've seen this bit before'.

Overall however 'Like Crazy' is an extremely enjoyable film, and a real breath of fresh air upon the 'romantic genre'. Being realistic, sentimental and thought-provoking , 'Like Crazy' is the best love story I've seen for years.

80%- It may have it's downfalls but if your looking for a realistic depiction of young love without the cheese, then your in the right place!

Calum Russell.