Like Crazy

Introduced as they're preparing to graduate from a Los Angeles university, Anna (Felicity Jones) and Jacob (Anton Yelchin) meet in a media-studies class and fall passionately in love. She's a British exchange student, studying journalism; he builds custom-made furniture. After an idyllic few months together, Anna's student visa expires, so she must return to England, but besotted Anna can't bear to leave Jacob, so she recklessly decides to remain just a bit longer. Once she's violated the terms of her residency, however, she's not allowed back into the United States. Forced apart and relying on texting, the couple's relationship suffers. Back home, Anna blogs for a magazine and begins to date straight-arrow neighbor Simon (Charlie Bewley), while Jacob's enticed by adoring co-worker Sam (Jennifer Lawrence). But then there are those 3 a.m. texts, declaring, “I miss you.” Obviously working under the influence of the French New Wave, co-writer/director Drake Doremus gave the actors a 50-page screenplay outline and encouraged them to improvise during the 22-day shoot on a $250,000 budget. While the unscripted dialogue tends toward the banal, the impressionistic tempo is intoxicating, and pouty-lipped Jones and Russian-Jewish heartthrob Yelchin deliver irresistible performances. Recommended. [Note: DVD extras include audio commentary by director Drake Doremus, editor Jonathan Alberts, and cinematographer John Guleserian, a bonus digital copy of the film, and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are deleted and alternate scenes with optional commentary. Bottom line: a decent extras package for a mostly winning film.] (S. Granger)