Review: Like Crazy

Somewhere in the office of Drake Doremus, director and cowriter of Like Crazy, I picture a drawer that contains a first draft of the film's script. I am convinced, after sitting through all 90 minutes of this excruciating film, that the original working title during its conception was Shitheads in Love.

Like Crazy is the story of two unlikable a-holes named Jacob (Anton Yelchin) and Anna (Felicity Jones). Anna is a British college student who falls for her classmate Jacob. When her student visa expires, she decides to just stay here because it's not like the American government cares about keeping track about immigrants anyway. In the first instance of Jacob showing his new girlfriend and the audience how selfless he is, he quickly agrees, because it's not like he's the one that will be suffering the consequences, right?

This is the point in the review where I warn you guys, there may be some spoilers ahead, depending on your definition of the word. I honestly can't figure out how to discuss my displeasure with the film without mentioning specific details of the characters and events from the film, so from here on out, watch out.

Upon finally leaving the country to visit her family, TSA stops Anna as soon as she reenters the US because her name has been flagged in the system. Her response (and this is almost verbatim): "Um...I'm a tourist now, not a student." The next scene is her on the phone to old boy crying, "I don't know why they won't let me be with you..." She should be happy that she was able to walk after the search they gave her after using that excuse!

Anna's kicked out of the States, and we are shown scenes of the two living their lives apart from each other. All in all they seem to do all right, although someone needs to pull Jacob aside and tell him that his whole disheveled look is making him resemble a young Chris Cornell, and that's no good for anyone.

Upon finally reuniting in England, it is apparent that they are too selfish to ever truly find happiness in each other. He's a furniture designer, but when the idea is floated of starting a business in the UK in order for the two to stay together, he quickly shoots the idea down, acting as if it would be impossible. Yes, because as we all know, there are no trees overseas, so it is crazy difficult to build a comfortable sofa.

This film has received accolades at film festivals, and Ms. Jones' performance has already won acclaim, but this movie is the absolute embodiment of the indie film that folks love to hate. The script is nonexistant to the point that I wondered if the long pauses were due to equipment failures; the characters continue to make bad decisions to the point that you begin to root against them; and they even make Paul Simon's music intolerable, and I love Paul Simon!

I'm not going to completely bury the film, however. Jennifer Lawrence (Winter's Bone) provides a wonderful acting performance as Sam, Jacob's significant other when Anna isn't around. Lawrence isn't asked to do much here, but every second she is on screen the doom and gloom lifts for a bit. Honestly, I couldn't help but think that the filmmakers would have been better off not casting an actress of Lawrence's talent for this role, as at the end you walk away liking Jacob even less.

The beginning of the film seems as if it going for a Before Sunrise vibe, as we watch two young people meet and fall in love. I would like to think that is what Doremus had in mind and somehow it just slipped away from him in the filming process. In Before, we had the rooting interest of watching two young talented actors falling in love before us. In Like Crazy, we have a couple that are far better off seperate from each other, just as you are better off having not seen this movie.
 

Like Crazy opens today at the Colony in Raleigh and Southpoint in Durham.

Image © 2011 - Paramount Pictures

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