Like Crazy, review

2011, R, ***

Starring: Anton Yelchin, Felicity Jones, Jennifer Lawrence, Charlie Bewley

“Like Crazy,” is a film about young love during college that develops into a long-lasting relationship and when there are hard pressures put in the way such as a long distance relationship. The story is about British college student Anna (Felicity Jones, Hysteria, The Tempest) and Jacob (Anton Yelchin, 2011 Fright Night, Charlie Bartlett ) who meet in class while attending a University in Los Angeles, California. He is a design student focusing on furniture making, specifically chair design, and wanting to build his business. Anna is a writer, also in the creative realm, and they support each others goals and aspirations and quickly fall in love. The only problem is school's almost over, they're almost on their way to graduating, and Anna’s visa is about to run out.

After school she is supposed to return home to the UK, however overstays her welcome a few more weeks in the US before returning home. They try to make their love work through a long-distance relationship, and when Anna returns to see Jacob she is held at the airport and basically told she overstayed her visa and must report directly back UK, and they immediately send her home on the flight back to London. Overwhelmed, heartbroken and angry, Jacob continues on with his life, developing a relationship with Sam (Jennifer Lawrence, The Hunger Games series, The House at the End of the Street) but even filling the void of Anna with a new relationship doesn't diminish his feelings for her at all. It makes him feel worse, and in despair over the distance relationship he was trying to achieve with Anna. Anna becomes fully engaged in work back home and begins a relationship with Simon, (Charlie Bewley, Slightly Single in LA, he also plays Demetri in The Twilight Saga movies), but still can't get Jacob out of her mind. She occasionally calls and texts Jacob; still there is the distance factor that's putting pressure on their relationship.

Jacob then decides enough is enough they need to be together, and he goes over to the UK to be with Anna and her family, and her parents suggest they get married. And they do so, however due to immigration laws, even when marrying a US citizen, Anna must wait six months for processing, before she is allowed to enter the US with her new visa, as his wife. This also puts lots of strain on their relationship once again. As the saying goes, "in time everything works itself out," however having a long-distance relationship across the globe with someone is very difficult, and sacrifices and accommodations must be made in order for it to work out. Jacob has a furniture business in Los Angeles and Anna likes her job the UK. The film also addresses issues that immigration walls imposed upon people's relationships especially when the individuals live in different countries. But the movie also reflects that things can be worked out, and all can be well in the end.

I truly appreciate independent films, and this one is a standout film because it is real life and poses real life situations and issues regarding long-distance relationships with the element of having to work with the system. However, if this type of situation were to happen to you, you just have to abide by laws, and work with the system as best as you can to resolve your issues so you can be with the one you love. It's worth a watch, if you're into the whole romantic drama independent type films. Also FYI, the film won the grand jury prize for best film at the Sundance Film Festival.