Review of Like Crazy (2011) by Dave S — 26 Dec 2011

I wanted so dearly to like this film. No. I wanted so dearly to love this film. Unfortunately, just because you desire enjoyment does not mean you can fool yourself for very long into thinking that you are genuinely enjoying the film.

It's an indy film, and it feel "very indy." That's not to say that it's a bad thing, but it just feels a notch under professional the entire time.

Like Crazy is composed almost entirely of hit-or-miss scenarios. Unfortunately, despite the truly interesting or heartfelt or simply good moments, the "meh" feeling that came along over and over again was difficult to ignore.

Anton Yelchin gives this role his all, and although I liked him in Alpha Dog (and, to a lesser extent, in The Beaver, also he was great in Star Trek) he fails to be constantly convincing during the more dramatic moments. That's not to say he doesn't do a good job overall.

Such is similar with Felicity Jones, with a smaller amount of disappointment. For the most part, actually, she is quite decent, and at moments beyond that. Jennifer Lawrence's role is much smaller than anticipated, much smaller than it should be for the sake of the story, and difficult to judge due to how disjointed it is from the film as a whole.

What Like Crazy suffers from the most is that NEVER is there any sense of direction; the story never feels like it knows where it's going. This was probably somewhat intentional, as neither do the characters (Anna even says at one moment that they're taking everything one day at a time), but it just comes across as confusing, making a disjointed narrative.

Time is also a huge factor. A reasonably long time passes over the course of the film, but it always feels rushed and unclear.

This leads to one of the largest weaknesses in regards to writing, directing, and editing: Like Crazy does not know how to manage its transitions. Simply put, they're just sloppy, and it's sad because hidden in this film is a truly interesting study of a constantly severed relationship.

None of the characters know what they're doing, which can only serve as a plot device/struggle for so long.

Also, the ending is not done well. It's just meh. I recall the moment the last scene started and thinking of the possibility of the film just cutting to black, which would in turn stop the story from ending, which is exactly what it does. Films will often end before the actually story regarding the main characters has completed, but in the case of Like Crazy, it just stops. The story that is being told is not over, and we are not granted the privilege of a proper ending.

Overall, there are moments when the cast shines, but the story can't handle itself and neither can the filmmakers despite giving it their all. The music, however, was notably good all the way through.