LIKE CRAZY – The Review

The title of the new film LIKE CRAZY refers to the tumult of emotions that overwhelm the senses during the rush of attraction that blossoms into love ( particularly amongst the under thirty crowd ). With these two leads we’re probably not talking about first love as they’re just about to finish college. Still the intensity of their feelings practically explode off the screen. But like most examples of romantic cinema this couple’s journey is not an easy one.

The plot of the film almost follows the old cliché movie love story structure / formula : boy meets girl, boy and girl fall in love, boy loses girl, etcetera. A college writing major from England, Emma (Felicity Jones) becomes smitten with the professor’s student assistant, Jake (Anton Yelchin), a furniture designer, while attending school in Los Angeles. She leaves a note with her number (and a poem) on his car windshield. He calls her up, they date, and begin a whirlwind Spring romance. Unfortunately love clouds her judgement and she stays past her student visa return date. When Emma tries to visit Jake in LA after finally returning to England she’s denied re-entry in the US because of the visa violation. Thus begins a long struggle as the two lovers try to get back together. He can only afford a few trips to see her in the UK. In between visits Jake starts a furniture design business with Samantha (Jennifer Lawrence) who becomes more than a work partner, while Emma becomes an assistant to the editor of a fashion magazines ( Fionela Hughes ) and re-connects with some old friends and an attractive neighbor, Simon ( Charlie Bewley ). Can Jake and Emma’s love survive the strains and temptations of this long distance relationship while also battling the heartless bureaucracy?

Yes, it’s a fairly simple story that’s told without a lot of flashy touches although director Drake Doremus occasionally indulges a few film school tricks. He uses pixilation ( the camera’s locked above the bed as we see Emma and Jake in multiple sleepwear and sleep positions to denote time passage, while later Emma is in one spot at the airport as humanity buzzes and flits about her ) and slow dissolves ( the kitchen remains the same as the characters are in different clothing ). And of course we’ve got to have at least one montage of the two leads frolicking on the beach ( and at the go-kart track ) set to a sprightly tune. It’s really up to the actors to make this basic tale compelling. The two leads bring a a lot of fresh energy to this romance. Yelchin still projects the wit and intelligence the he showed in his two films from earlier this year ( THE BEAVER and FRIGHT NIGHT ), but here he presents a tender side as he tentatively gives his heart to this young woman who has pursued him ( yeah sexual equality! ). Jones as Emma gives a real star-making performance. You can almost hear her thoughts as she finally works up the courage to leave that windshield note. She almost bursts with exhilaration as Emma and Jake make a connection. This makes her poor decision to stay longer a bit more understandable. Later, as she makes a late night call to Jake from London, her pain and loneliness is heartbreaking. This is a young actress of startling sensitivity. I was rooting for them to triumph over those heartless immigration officers, but I began to feel greater sympathy for their interim flings. Simon seems a bit of a prig, but Jennifer Lawrence’s Sam is deserving of a better fate. The other, older actors do a great job of supporting the young lovers. Alex Kingston and Oliver Muirhead have a great rapport as Emma’s indulgent, worldly, supportive parents ( break out the whiskey! ) and Hughes scores as Emma’s nurturing, understanding mentor. This film may be a bit too messy for some viewers ( I was squirming during the big argument ), but relationships can’t always be hearts and flowers. The ending’s a bit open, so I hope we’ll spend some more time with these two someday. LIKE CRAZY is an emotional rollercoaster and a great showcase for two very gifted young actors.

Overall Rating: Four Out of Five Stars

LIKE CRAZY will be screened at 7 PM Thursday November 3 at  the Tivoli theatre as a special sneak preview of the 20th Annual Stella Artois St. Louis International Film Festival. The film’s regular engagement begins on November 11 at the Plaza Frontenac Cinemas