Review of Like Crazy.
Like Crazy thrives on the sparks between leads Anton Yelchin and Felicity Jones.
Movie love circa 2011 means improvisation, low-fidelity camerawork and two young actors who bring their own wardrobe and dialogue to the production.
Naïve storytelling becomes an asset in the passionate but somewhat unbelievable romance Like Crazy, co-writer/director Drake Doremus' earnest tale of a trans-Atlantic love affair.
A poem left on a car windshield leads to a meet up between two L.A. college students in Doremus' ready-made romance.
Jacob (Anton Yelchin) recognizes Anna (Felicity Jones) from his college class and their love affair is quick and passionate.
Matters turn complicated when Anna returns to her native England due to an expired student visa. Suddenly, two lovers used to spending every day together grapple with a transatlantic romance.
Tearful phone calls and long waits at airport terminals emphasize the heartache building throughout the story as the two grapple with the growing time and distance between them.
Anna and Jacob struggle to make the relationship work understanding that passion can flame out as fast as it ignites.
Like Crazy is far more serious than Doremus' previous film; the likable, battling brothers, road comedy Douchebag but both movies reveal an impressive skill at low-budget moviemaking and likable storytelling.
To the credit of Doremus and co-writer Ben York Jones, Like Crazy is one of the first movie romances where texts play such an important role in the drama and in fact reveal a crumbling relationship.
A soundtrack of twee ballads featuring the Montreal-based band Stars and ballads by Berlin-based singer-songwriter Dustin O'Halloran syncs well with sun-drenched images of Anna and Jacob enjoying go-kart racing, runs on Venice Beach as well as nighttime strolls on Santa Monica's third street promenade.
Cameraman John Guleserian gives the film a shiny, avant-garde sheen via clever use of a Canon HD still camera.
More than its shimmering images and hip alternative soundtrack, its two young lovers make Like Crazy an enjoyable love story.
Anton Yelchin (The Beaver and the recent Fright Night remake) stammers beautifully as the young artist emotionally ill equipped for committing to a lifelong relationship. Yelchin resembles a teen more than a man due to his gangly frame, boyish face and squeaky voice and his youthful appearance suits his character perfectly.
Yelchin is at his best in scenes where Jacob is over-his-head and incapable of doing the right thing by Anna.
Jones, more girl-next-door than Hollywood sex object, glitters throughout the film.
Jones, who won a Special Jury Prize at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival for her performance, is sweet, funny and utterly believable as a young romantic who'll do anything for love.
Jennifer Lawrence makes great use of her warm smile and cherubic face as the rebound girlfriend in Jacob's life.
Still, Like Crazy belongs to Yelchin and Jones and they generate more than enough sparks to compensate for the film's eventual bursts of melodrama. Their undeniable passion helps make this unbelievable movie romance believable enough to care about its finale.
Distributor: Paramount Vantage
Cast: Anton Yelchin, Felicity Jones, Jennifer Lawrence, Charlie Bewley, Alex Kingston, Oliver Muirhead
Screenwriter: Drake Doremus, Ben York Jones
Director: Drake Doremus
Cinematographer: John Guleserian
Editor: Jonathan Alberts
Producers: Super Crispy Entertainment, Indian Paintbrush Running Time: 89 minutes
Rating: Rated PG-13
Release Date: Oct. 28, 2012 in select cities and expands nationwide throughout the fall