TITLE: Like Crazy
STARRING: Anton Yelchin, Felicity Jones, Jennifer Lawrence
ONE LINE SYNOPSIS: Jacob and Anna are a young couple in love but their relationship is tested when she violates the terms of her visa and is sent back to London.
WHY YOU SHOULD SEE IT: I like think this film is what most people imagine when they think of "indie films." Small cast, incredibly small budget, experimental cinematography, no discernable 3 act structure and an ending atypical to Hollywood standards. A lot of this can be off-putting to audiences used to fluffy big-budget romantic films like The Notebook or The Vow. But the performances here are worth seeing. Yelchin is no stranger to the indie scene. If you haven't seen Charlie Bartlett, you may want to consider making your movie night a double feature. In Like Crazy, he delivers a performance that feels so genuine, it will evoke memories of your own lost love(s). Similarly, Jones's honest portrayal of Anna makes her feel so familiar, as though you've known this girl all your life. The film is presented as a series of moments in time, relationship milestones, bits of conversation, random memories blurring in and out of focus. Again, this can be challenging for audiences used to the Hollywood formula, but the characters make the journey worthwhile.
Another reason to see this film is that it epitomizes how affordable DSLR cameras are revolutionizing the film industry. Like Crazy was shot on a Canon EOS 7D DSLR camera that retails for around $1500. The entire budget of the film was only $250,000. To put this in perspective, the big-budget films I mentioned earlier were shot for $29 million (The Notebook) and $30 million (The Vow). Like Crazy, on the other hand, was shot beautifully for such a low cost that it's an inspiration for independent, low-budget, no-budget or DIY filmmakers.
WHO WILL LIKE IT:
-Romance junkies
-People who don't mind films straying from Hollywood conventions
-Filmmakers with shallow pockets looking to be inspired
WHERE YOU CAN FIND IT: Redbox, Netflix DVD-only
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