The easiest way to sum up my opinion of Like Crazy is to ask, “Why do I care?” I’m not saying I necessarily disliked the film as much as I grew tired of its redundancy and the characters never spoke to me, nor did I ever understand why they liked each other, a problem with a romantic drama if you ask me.
Co-written and directed by Drake Doremus (Douchebag), Like Crazy follows the here and there romance of visiting Brit, Anna (Felicity Jones) and resident Yank, Jacob (Anton Yelchin). The two meet at their Los Angeles college and fall madly in love with one another and as the school year comes to a close Anna needs to go home for summer, but foolishly decides to overstay her visa. Oops.
This intentional “accident” soon turns into trouble after Anna finally does go home and upon her attempt to return to the States isn’t let back in the country and placed on the first flight back to Blighty. An ocean (and a continent for that matter) between the two proves formidable, especially as they carry on with their lives. Anna is climbing the corporate ladder and Jacob begins his own business making what look like some of the most uncomfortable chairs I’ve ever seen.
A trip here and there, text messages and continued attempts to clear up Anna’s visa issues make up much of the rest of the running time on top of each finding new “loves” but are, nevertheless, consistently pulled back together. How will it all end up? How, indeed…
Unfortunately, the attraction to Like Crazy is less about story, character or emotion and more about the visual aesthetic Doremus brings after shooting the film on a suped-up Canon EOS 7D. After seeing the film, this should come as no surprise given the film looks like a series of still photographs, capturing the sunlight as two lovers walk along the beach coupled with abstract close ups during their first awkward conversations. From a visual standpoint the film is unique, but its narrative leaves a lot to be desired.
To begin with, the idea these two intelligent college students would be so naive as to allow Anna’s visa to expire and think everything would be okay is something you’re going to have to accept or you’re going to be very frustrated for the film’s 89-minute running time, which may sound short, but it does feel much longer. You’re also going to have to accept these two characters are madly in love with one another when they are initially separated, but you aren’t going to be given any inkling as to why as their separation becomes the narrative focal point.
The viewer Like Crazy is most likely to connect with is anyone that has been put into a similar situation, speaking largely of a long distance relationship, not all the visa expiration mumbo-jumbo. If you’re able to put yourself in these characters’ shoes you can inject your own emotion into the story and give it that much needed life. I wouldn’t be surprised of Doremus intended it this way and maybe it’s my own personal failing for not finding that connection. Either way, I didn’t.
Neither Yelchin nor Jones were able to sell me on the relationship in question, primarily because there was a lack of a spark. I could imagine being far more impressed with their performances if there was more to start with as much of their courtship is captured in silence and shared glances. It’s done well, but I never felt I learned anything or got to know the characters in any real way.
Doremus appeared to be attempting to tell the story more through his camera rather than his actors and he is quite capable, but it doesn’t necessarily work in the film’s favor. Some of his scenes are framed in such a way you can’t help but take notice as architecture establishes metaphorical barriers in the early moments of their relationship as well as throughout the film as the two grow closer, then further apart. In this sense he captures the film with a photographer’s eye, but he ends up missing out on the human emotion early on and when he calls on it later in the film it’s a bit too late.
I feel bad coming down too hard on Like Crazy because this is exactly the kind of film I want to see more filmmakers attempt. This is far from your traditional studio-produced romance as it depends on real people in real world situations. I just don’t think the material was handled particularly well or with enough interest in telling an engaging story. But like I said, there will be people out there that relate to the material that will likely fall madly in love with it, and perhaps for that reason it’s worth giving a chance.
