Thursday, December 22, 2011

Like Crazy

There are so few good love stories, I could not resist writing about this one. It may be gone from the theaters now, but the DVD is surely on its way. Too late to post it on Crimespree Cinema so here it is.

A British student ignores her student visa regulations when she falls in love with an American student one summer, and this precipitates a world of trouble for them both.

They can't seem to find long-term happiness with each other or with anyone else. They are locked in that summer romance, can't see past it.

There is scarcely a false note in this sad little Valentine. Every character is shown to their best advantage, including the parents and other lovers. How often does this happen?

Starring Anton Yelchin, Felicity Jones, Jennifer Lawrence, Charlie Bewley, Alex Kingston and Oliver Muirhead.

Directed by Drake Doremus, who seems to have come out of nowhere to do this great little movie.


What love story do you find satisfying? Movie or book or TV?

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Patti - You know, I'd heard mixed reviews about this one. I'm so glad you liked it, though.

Paul D Brazill said...

Whose Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? Seemed pretty accurate ...

Anonymous said...

Never saw this one either. I'll have to wait for the DVD.

Favorite love stories? I guess you'll see I'm not thinking traditional love stories when I name TWO FOR THE ROAD and WHEN HARRY MET SALLY....


Jeff M.

Steve Oerkfitz said...

I disliked this movie a lot. Disliked the characters and their actions. I felt no sympathy for them.

pattinase (abbott) said...

But didn't they seem authentically 22? Aren't all 22 year olds completely self-absorbed and foolish.

Dan_Luft said...

The adult in me prefers screwball comedies which are marginally romantic. The kid in me still loves the very offbeat romances (and sci if plots) of Somewhere in Time and Time after Time.

George said...

Loved Definitely, Maybe.

Prashant C. Trikannad said...

It's a mix between movies and books. Among films, LOVE STORY, AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER, GHOST, OUT OF AFRICA and NOTTING HILL. Books include DR. ZHIVAGO, MAN, WOMAN AND CHILD, THE THORN OF ARIMATHEA, and JUDE THE OBSCURE.

Gerard said...

When I was a kid I liked SOMEWHERE IN TIME but would never have admitted to it. I only admit to it now because Dan did.

Ron Scheer said...

LOVE ACTUALLY has become the annual Christmas movie at our house.

pattinase (abbott) said...

LIKE CRAZY was on here recently and I think they cut the parts with making a porn movie from it. Or did I remember it incorrectly. I like all of these movies although I have never seen THE THORN OF ARIMATHEA.

iluvcinema said...

I think my list is too long for this space :)

I guess in spite of what I might say at times, I am a true romantic at heart :)

Anonymous said...

I prefer LOVE ACTUALLY on DVD so we can skip through the "porn" scenes. My favorite segments are with Liam Neeson and the little boy, Bill Nighy, and Colin Firth.

Jeff M.

Gerard said...

Skip through the porn scenes? Those are for the slow motion feature.

Todd Mason said...

Among films, certainly ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND and would've liked DEFINITELY, MAYBE better if the male lead hadn't been such a perpetual 22yo by your definition, Patti (seems like there are a Whole Lot of 22yos of all ages around the arts and life, by the self-absorption standard...). ONCE AND AGAIN, among television series, of course...and, as I remember it, the original version of THE FORSYTE SAGA.

In literature, among those doing interesting work about such matters have been Theodore Sturgeon, Maggie Gee, this kid Jane Austen, who shows some promise, and her successors, and indeed a whole slew of other folks. That Graham Greene seemed willing to tug some hearts.

Todd Mason said...

Still trying to place why Felicity Jones's name resonates, w/o actually looking up her credits, but will now cheat...

Yvette said...

I have lots of favorite romantic movies. Just three:

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE (the Colin Firth version which is really, I guess, the TV version)

PERSUASION with Ciarin Hinds and Amanda Root

A NEW LEAF with Walter Matthau and Elaine May

Deb said...

My all-time favorite love story in literature is the one between Beatrice and Benedick in "Much Ado About Nothing."

I also really enjoy the BritCom "As Time Goes By" where Judi Dench and Geoffrey Palmer play a couple who were in love in the 1950s, missed a connection somewhere, went on to marriages with others, and many years later meet again and marry.

I also like the relationship between William Powell and Myrna Loy in The Thin Man movies and the Tracy-Hepburn dynamic in "Woman of the Year" and "Adam's Rib."