Film Review: ‘Like Crazy’ Exposes Sweet Sorrow of Young Love

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CHICAGO – The young love affair, that first one that breaks through the heart, mind and biological objectives, is the memory that never really goes away. Sometimes it works out for a lifetime, sometimes it ends. Anton Yelchin and Felicity Jones play out this oft-remembered experience in “Like Crazy.”

HollywoodChicago.com Oscarman rating: 3.5/5.0
Rating: 3.5/5.0

Fighting all the outside factors against their long distance relationship, the couple goes through the whole emotional spectrum in this story, an in-the-now tale encompassing immigrations laws (on a different level) and the distractions of simply being young and apart in the current era. Yelchin and Jones have a terrific understanding of the motivations necessary in making something like this work, and their performances are raw, honest and heart-breaking.

Right near the end of their college days, Jacob (Anton Yelchin) and Anna (Felicity Jones) begin a relationship that almost immediately morphs into love. The problem is the time running out at the end of the semester, compounded by the fact that Jacob lives in California and Anna lives in London. Days before her student visa is to run out, Anna makes the decision to stay through the summer, in effect breaking passport rules in a post-9/11 world.

Anna goes back to London, and finds out about her mistake when she tries to come back and visit Jacob. Her passport is denied, and she is unceremoniously forced to go back to her homeland. This begins a back-and-forth wrangling of long distance emotions, draconian laws and challenges from other relationships. For Jacob, it is a co-worker named Sam (Jennifer Lawrence), and for Anna it is a love-struck Simon (Charlie Bewley). Jacob and Anna make some extreme decisions, but everything that works against them threatens their love.

“Like Crazy” continues its limited release in Chicago on November 3rd. See local listings for theaters and showtimes. Featuring Anton Yelchin, Felicity Jones, Jennifer Lawrence, Charlie Bewley, Alex Kingston and Oliver Muirhead. Screenplay by Drake Doremus and Ben York Jones. Directed by Drake Doremus. Rated “PG-13”

StarContinue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full review of “Like Crazy”

Anton Yelchin as Jacob and Felicity Jones as Anna in ‘Like Crazy’
Anton Yelchin as Jacob and Felicity Jones as Anna in ‘Like Crazy’
Photo credit: © 2011 Paramount Pictures

StarContinue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full review of “Like Crazy”

Manny be down's picture

'Like Crazy

To be honest I did not care for it If they truly love each other they would of not mess around.

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