Anna and Jacob are a modern day Romeo and Juliet; they have an intense love that the world doesn’t care about. I was annoyed at the drama that ensues because Anna was too “in love” to respect the limits of her visa. However, no matter how nonsensical the plot, or how annoying the idea, the audience can’t help but sympathize because, let’s face it, we have all been there. At times, it is touching to watch such an intense performance about first loves, but at other times it’s difficult to watch a story unravel where the most pressing obstacle is bureaucratic red tape. If Anna had just returned to England at the right time, then she could have returned shortly with another visa and there would be no story. At the very least, it is uninteresting, and it only becomes more uninteresting when they start seeing other people. Essentially, it is a film about the moment in a relationship when we realize what was isn’t what is.
The cinematography is dreamlike, which I wonder if they did that to resemble the hormonal fog under which the protagonists live. At the end, you may feel like you just spent an hour and a half watching a series of moments you never want to have in real life, like hearing your girlfriend ask if you think we should sleep with other people, or proposing to a girl only to find out she is technically already married.
The film is presented on DVD in 16:9 and the quality is clear. The cinematography is beautiful and the director did not fear to play with lighting. Despite the weaknesses in the film, Anton Yelchin is adorable and his interactions with Felicity Jones and Jennifer Lawrence are spot on.
