Like Crazy Shows the Emotional Roller Coaster of Relationships well

Like Crazy (3 1/2 out of 5 Stars)

Directed by Drake Doremus (Moonpie, Douchebag) 

Written by Drake Doremus and Ben York Jones

Starring: Antonn Telchin, Felicity Jones, and Jennifer Lawrence

Like Crazy Shows Shows the Emotional Roller Coaster of Relationship well.  The films makes the viewer feel as though they are along for the ride, you feel every thrill, drop, and jolt.  

Like Crazy is about Jacob (Yelchin) and Anna (Jones) who are two college students who meet and fall in love.  That is the simplistic breakdown.  Jacob is and American student and Anna is from England.  Anna writes Jacob a note telling him to call her; she leaves on the car.  The two meet for coffee and soon start to have this instant chemistry over things her writing and their mutual love for Paul Simon and his album Graceland.  As time passes and their love starts to grow Jacob asks the question while they are in bed under the covers "What happens when you have to go back?"  

Anna's quick response is to say let's live in the now, and not think about it.  The connection is clearly there and these two have intense feelings for one another.  Sometimes these feelings force them down the wrong paths.  When Anna is supposed to go hoe for the summer she decides to forgo the stipulations of Visa and stays in the country.  When she eventually tries to travel back England and then tries to come into the United States she is flagged and sent back home to England and not allowed to come back to America for an indefinite period of time.  Her expulsion from the States puts the first strain on the relationship and the film chronicles their experiences as they grow up, a part and try to remain to together.

Director and Writer Drake Doremus along with writer Ben York Jones capture the essential elements of youthful love.  The script and direction focus on each level of intimacy well.  As the relationship starts these act as though they are lovestruck teenagers who can avoid all of the pitfalls.  The problem is that they are responsible for their own split.  Anna and Jacob act as though being a part for two months will ruin them, but what they had not realized or forgot was that it was her Visa status that would jeopardize things.  The script sharply weaves how this couple forms such an intimate bond and through this intimate bond experience the joys and pain associated with love.  As these two explore other relationships and their lives a part the eternal connection appears to be there.

Yelchin and Jones have great chemistry.  They do this wonderful script justice, and make you feel every emotion with their strong performances.  While Yelchin is solid it's Jones that is the clear standout of this couple.  Jones hits it out of the park, she takes your breath away with her beautifully quiet performance.  There is a lot that can be said for the typical rom-coms and their female leads; she avoids the typical and shows the depth in her character.

The great part about this film is that like (500) Days of Summer, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Sideways, and other romantic films with the same vein this film explores new depths of relationships.  Audiences are growing tired of the typical rom-com formula.  This film moves beyond the formulaic and is beautiful yet sad love story that is so real you feel as though you experienced the relationship.