Like Crazy – Film Review
Director: Drake Doremus
Starring: Anton Yelchin, Felicity Jones, Jennifer Lawrence, Charlie Bewley, Alex Kingston and Oliver Muirhead
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Do not be fooled by this films misleading tagline ‘I want you – I need you – I love you – I miss you’. This would suggest to the audience that Like Crazy is a film centred on romance. In actual fact, it appears to focus strongly on the absence of romance in couples, and whether it is always worth the trouble to keep a struggling relationship alive. This may seem like an intriguing prospect, but it is in fact a very dull affair.
The plot is offensively unimaginative. Anna meets Jacob while studying abroad, and they fall in love instantly. However, when Anna’s student visa expires, she decides to remain in the United States for a summer of love and romance. She returns home in the Fall and, when attempting to visit Jacob again, she discovers that customs will not allow her through. Thus, the couple must struggle with their long distance relationship, deciding whether or not it is worth the trouble.
This is the extent of creativity in terms of plot, as it does not progress any further than there. Anna’s bold move of deciding to remain in the States feels painfully ridiculous and idiotic rather than spontaneous. Sub-plots, such as Anna’s writing career or her relationship with her parents, are drastically underused, which further emphasizes the simplicity of the main plot.
To do the two main stars credit, they do portray Anna and Jacob as believable for the bulk of the film. However, their romance lacks any kind of spark, and this fails to hook the audience. Their dialogue isn’t witty or clever, and neither actor boasts enough charisma to be in any way captivating. There is chemistry, admittedly, but only just enough to make their relationship a believable one. This is emphasized heavily by the fact that they seem to share a similar chemistry with other characters they get involved with over the course of the film. It would not take any great stretch of the imagination to imagine Jennifer Lawrence, the actress who portrays Samantha, in the role of Anna, as her relationship with Jacob is equally convincing.
The narrative structure is also an issue, as it is quite off-putting. Weeks and months pass by in a heartbeat, and the effect of jumping from one time period to another so quickly is jarring. A seemingly perfect relationship suddenly slides into rocky territory without warning, and it makes the audience increasingly aware that we are watching a choreographed romance rather than a natural relationship.
Oddly, Anna and Jacob’s rough patches feel more forced than the actual love scenes. The director blatantly signposts their deteriorating relationship with a clearly rehearsed argument, which feels detached from their overall courtship. By the time we are made aware that things aren’t going smoothly, interest has all but dissipated. Whether it ends happily or unhappily feels irrelevant because they are just another of a million other couples in the world.
It is in these casual moments, the montage sequences in particular, that the film does well. The director displays a talent for mise-en-scène, favouring subtlety over exposition, which shows promise for future projects. However, these displays of skill are incidental rather than a saving grace. They fail to compensate for a film that does little to engage it’s audience and makes its point shakily at the cost of a wholly underwhelming conclusion.
Score: 1/5
Please Join us on your Social Platform of choice
