Review of Like Crazy (2011) by Glenn G — 09 Jan 2012

Sometimes an indie film can be too Sundance-y for its own good. Such is the case with LIKE CRAZY, an otherwise beautifully photographed and acted young love story with an immigration twist. The big winner of the Sundance 2001 Grand Jury Dramatic prize and Special Jury prize for its star, Felicity Jones, LIKE CRAZY has a lot going for it. Two young college students, one American, the other English, meet and fall in love in Los Angeles. Largely improvised, the film hinges on our believing the connection between the two, and Anton Yelchin and Jones truly do make us feel that first flush of love. Jones' character is quietly obsessed, while Yelchin a little less so, but is still smitten. Because she violates her visa, the couple is separated for periods of time, where we witness the ebbs and flows of their relationship.

The film has many wonderful, elliptical touches, sun-dappled cinematography, and jump cuts which compress time nicely. A favorite of mine are a series of shots on a subway with our couple sitting across from each other on the way to the airport. A couple of cuts later, one is left alone on the return trip home. I also enjoyed the small but vivid performance by Jennifer Lawrence, who through very little dialogue, gives us the heartbreak of being the rebound girl.

Unfortunately, the stakes of the story just aren't high enough. There's a repetitive nature to the push/pull relationship and every time they hit a snag, it's easy to want to yell back at the screen such things as, "Why don't you get married? Why don't you move to England? Why is Anton Yelchin snagging not one but two beautiful women so easily?!!" Now don't get me wrong, Yelchin is a fine actor, and his performance as CHARLIE BARTLETT is one of the most overlooked ones in recent years, but his role here is the most problematic for me. His character build really plain-looking chairs, which means he could move to England to be with the woman he loves pretty easily...especially a woman who marries him. The fact that he doesn't made me care very little about his fate. The fact that he seems pretty wishy-washy with any woman thrown in his path makes it even more difficult. Jones carries the weight here and does a wonderful, vulnerable job. She's a vibrant, lovely screen presence and totally deserving of the accolades she's received.

As for the Sundance-y vibe this film emits ----it's all a bit too precious, too handheld, too unambitious in its tiny scale. Just as the big blockbusters have their inane trappings, so do the indies sometimes. If they were to tighten this up a little, give us some credibility in the plot developments so that we really understand why they're apart, then it would be much improved. But it's still a fine effort. I believed its portrayal of love, and I thought the ending was brave, original, and unexpected. Fans of THE GRADUATE will understand the beauty in an ambiguous finish.