Like Crazy

So, I hadn't really heard of this movie ever before seeing it at the Redbox and then seeing a trailer on another movie I recently watched. The secret hopeless romantic in me wanted to watch this movie, plus my also secret admiration for Anton Yelchin. This movie, which premiered at last year's Sundance, was produced on one of my favorite cameras and was completed with only a budget of $250,000.00. It got a limited release in about 160 theaters and made about $3 million.

The movie is about a young post-grad couple played by Anton Yelchin and Felicity Jones as they work through their struggles and breakups due to Felicity's character, Anna, overstaying her visa and therefore earning a ban from the U.S. They must deal with a relationship across the pond from each other and all the struggles that entails.

The director and actors have all recounted how all of the dialogue was improvised with the screenplay only containing the direction of the scenes. Honestly, it doesn't feel as improvised as some entirely improvised scripts. These two actors did a great job developing a rapport with each other. At the same time, they didn't get too removed from the plot with all of their improvisation. The plot did get somewhat redundant by the end of the film, however those two were just too darn cute to care too much about it. The long-distance relationship woe-is-me plot has been done numerous times but this one felt somehow more real by bringing in the immigration problems (and slick editing) so that quite literally this couple couldn't be together, instead of most movies where they make excuses for not being together. The plot also is not idealistic about both being 100% committed to keeping up a long-distance relationship without being upfront about the difficulties.

The movie was filmed quite beautifully and had soft lenses and beautiful lighting. There were tons of little mini scenes thrown into the movie to capture their relationship. I especially loved the sleeping montage that showed about 30 one-second clips of the couple's sleeping positions in bed. It was just these little added things put into the movie that made the couple feel more real instead of just showing their discourse and plot advancing scenes.

Yelchin was a little more mature than I've seen him in although he still seemed a little too young for some of the scenes, but in all actuality they both seemed incredibly young. He was, however, extremely charming and charismatic with his scenes with Jones. Jones also did a great job creating an awesome dynamic with Yelchin. From their first scene together they felt like long-time couple (which in hindsight, there should have been at least some distance in that first scene - but it goes to show how great they did creating chemistry). Oh, and Jennifer Lawrence is in the movie. Her character kinda pops up out of nowhere and she does a nice job with her small part. I've only ever seen her in The Hunger Games, so it was nice seeing her play a completely opposite role.

In the end, it was one of those nice little indie movies for the hopeless romantic. I don't want to spoil the ending or anything, but it doesn't fall victim to the romantic comedy cliches (the ending at least which is almost a direct nod to another of my favorite films). Some of the plot does get a little redundant, and I can see this as a turn off for some. If you loved watching Pam and Jim or Rachel and Ross go back and forth, then you'll probably also like this. If you just wanted their plots to advance and stay stagnant, then stay away. "I didn't realize that it would sometimes be more than the whole, that the wholeness was a rather luxurious idea. Because it's the halves that halve you in half".