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" &amp;quot;It&amp;#039;s a question of lust, it&amp;#039;s a question of trust, it&amp;#039;s a question of not letting what we&amp;#039;ve built up crumble to dust.&amp;quot; Those fine lyrics courtesy of Depeche Mode pretty much sum up the basis of the engaging romantic drama Like Crazy, which hinges upon impressive naturalistic turns from Anton Yelchin and Felicity Jones. As young lovers whose tumultuous transatlantic union forces them to confront the meaning of love, they propel the movie into emotive realms and wrench every bead of truth from a minimalistic script. &amp;quot;P.S. Please don&amp;#039;t think I&amp;#039;m a nutcase,&amp;quot; is the rather self-revealing conclusion to the love letter British exchange student Anna (Jones) sends her fellow classmate Jacob (Yelchin) after a seminar. It does the trick and courtesy of some tight framing from director Drake Doremus, we&amp;#039;re embroiled within their intimate moments as they embark on a tender courtship. An ill-judged decision to outstay her student visa causes the couple massive issues, as this violation later prevents Anna from reuniting with her American lover Stateside. A fragile tension grows between the pair as their emotional distance begins to match their physical one, but they just can&amp;#039;t seem to let go of the bond they created. But can the pair resist temptation elsewhere? There are several moments during the narrative when you wonder why you should care about Anna and Jacob&amp;#039;s precarious predicament. After all, there isn&amp;#039;t the usual contrived, button-pressing backstory that usually permeates the protagonists in the romance genre. Yet these doubts are soon overcome by the entrancing interaction between Jones and Yelchin. Every glance, grimace and gesture is imbued with such vast psychological credulity.  Undoubtedly, the relationship history of the viewer plays a large part in how much one taps into the narrative and identifies with either one of the leads. If that happens to a sufficient extent, there&amp;#039;s a good degree of wish fulfilment present as we implore their first lunge and relate to the awkward first date quest for conversation. Similarly, the flipside of the traumatic moments of a meaningful relationship - such as a cold and hurtful phone call that takes place between the separated couple - can put you on the verge of tears. How much you extract from this movie ultimately depends on how much and how able you are to emotionally invest in it. Elsewhere, there are fine supporting turns from Jennifer Lawrence as a sultry vixen who works alongside Jacob in his design firm, and from Alex Kingston and Oliver Muirhead as Anna&amp;#039;s British parents. The latter&amp;#039;s manner and fondness for a tipple is a particular hoot and provides a much needed injection of laughter to counterbalance the increasing anxiety of the unfolding story. There&amp;#039;s also a random but refreshing cameo from Keeley Hazell as one of Anna&amp;#039;s chums too. Away from the acting element, Like Crazy does falter at times through the director&amp;#039;s inability to get the balance right between naturalism and conventional storytelling devices. In particular, the visual signposting of events lurking around the corner can be poor at times. Similarly, the score reeks of manipulated artifice at times, straining to elicit a desired emotional response when all we need is to witness the stunning performances from Jones and Yelchin. There is a slight lull before the movie concludes, but the stark aesthetic of the final shower-set scene and shot are marvellous, with shades of the genial final freeze frame from Francois Truffaut&amp;#039;s Les 400 Coups. Like Crazy serves to remind us, as Depeche Mode again implored, that &amp;quot;precious and fragile things need special handling...&amp;quot;   "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.digitalspy.com/movies/review/a361506/like-crazy-review/>