LIKE CRAZY
US, 2011, 90 minutes, Colour.
Anton Yelchin, Felicity Jones, Jennifer Lawrence, Charlie Bewley, Alex Kingston, Oliver Muirhead, Finola Hughes.
Directed by Drake Doremus.
One of those particularly American titles that can be quite offputting. That should not be a reason for not seeing this film. However, a warning is in order. This is a film about young adults, falling in love, coping with separation, and not coping, leading to reconciliation which the ending leaves open for various interpretations (like that of the reviewer who told me that I was absolutely wrong in how I understood the characters and their behaviour).
One of the film’s big advantages is that Felicity Jones (British) and Anton Yelchin (American) play the couple. They are both emerging as talented young performers. She was in Brideshead Revisited and was Chalet Girl. He has appeared in a wide range of films from Star Trek to The Beaver, as Mel Gibson’s son.
We meet them first, studying in Los Angeles. She is a writer. He designs furniture. They hit it off (like crazy, I suppose, though the real craziness has yet to appear). Then the fatal mistake which parental adults in the audience will wring their hands over. Her visa has a limited time – will she overstay? Despite warnings and her own seeming common sense, she stays. Which, of course, leads to the drama of the rest of the film. How will they maintain their relationship at a distance? He can come to England but, despite appeals, she cannot enter the US after she is turned back.
The distance, and the presence of significant others, means that true love is on, well, let’s say it, a crazy path. Years pass. There are complications, including a wedding in London. She thrives in her job and is promoted. He builds up an important company.
We are left with the question of whether they will stay together after all the years and the experiences which have changed them. Depends, I suppose, on how you view human nature.
1. A love story? Comic? Serious? US, UK?
2. The Los Angeles world, the city, the world of study, the ocean? Furniture manufacturing?
3. The London world, flats, the city, the streets, the literary world?
4. How real were the characters, romantic, young, falling in love, mad love, the years passing, separations, relationships with others, their final coming together? How permanently?
5. The ambiguity of the ending, the clues in the behaviour of Jacob, joining Anna, Anna coming back to Jacob? Leaving the shower? The choices for each? In the light of the past experiences?
6. The couple at first, Anna’s paper, wordiness, the class, Jacob and the message on his car? Jacob drawing and designing? Jacob reading the note, the phone call, the cup of tea together, talking, sharing, their liking for Paul Simon, the variety of outings? The back-stories about each? Anna and her parents and their visit? Jacob’s father’s death?
7. The parents’ visit, the exuberance, the meal, the whiskey, the mother and her question about their relationship?
8. The visa situation, going to Catalina, Anna reading, Jacob wary? Her decision to stay, his approving? Ignoring the difficulties? The collage of the stay? Anna going back to England for the wedding?
9. The importance of contemporary communications, social network, texting, phone calls etc?
10. Anna’s return, being held up because of her visa violation, Jacob coming with the flowers, her returning to England?
11. The effect of the absence on their lives? Anna and the magazine, her work, support from her boss, her development? Jacob, designing the furniture, increasing his business?
12. Jacob’s visits to London, joy, sharing, meeting Simon, the detail of their time together, going back to Los Angeles?
13. Time passing, the continued visa ban?
14. Anna and Simon, the relationship, his fussiness, concern about health, the meals, the proposal? Anna’s parents and their response?
15. Jacob and Sam, working together, sharing their life, the outings, the bond? The continued sense of Anna’s presence?
16. Texting, the proposal, Jacob coming to London, the marriage ceremony, the joy, the life together, anger, the night?
17. The lifting of the ban, the separation, the relationships and change?
18. The realisation of their love for each other, Anna and her ability to go to America, her arrival? Resumption of their relationship? The effect on Simon? Sam and her backing out? The realism of the relationship in the light of the years? The shower sequence, Jacob joining Anna, Anna leaving? The open ending?
19. The niche market for this film – and giving them some food for thought? The reality of the visa situation despite the romanticism? Distance relationships? Commitment?
