500 Days of Summer

The best part of 500 Days of Summer is that it doesn't attempt to be a fantastic movie, it doesn't suck up to the viewers, and it doesn't flaunt itself in front of viewers saying "look how insightful I am". It could have easily done any of these things, and newcoming director Marc Webb expertly weaved his way through the story and its obstacles to create an amazing, visually stunning, and incredibly original piece of art.

People toss around the word "original" alot, but I am not screwing around when I say that this film is the very first of its kind. It is very playful, and uses every inch of the film medium to bring you inside the mind of Tom Hansen (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and experience his thoughts emotions and feelings in a very visceral way that you can touch and feel. The film follows the relationship of Tom Hansen with his infatuation named Summer Finn (Zooey Deschanel) and not in any way that would be expected. It is far from a conventional romantic comedy, and tracks the romance through random days. We jump from "Day 444" in the relationship to "Day 1" and then to "Day 243". This medium of storytelling was fascinating and kept me completely involved in the movie, and although some may call it a "ploy" or a "gimmick" it was incredibly innovative and original. An especially brilliant scene is a two way screen split that showcases "Expectations VS Reality". I know you don't know what that means, but once you watch the film you will understand and appreciate its subtle brilliance.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt offers a fantastic performance as a man who is attempting to find love in a fledgling and eventually failing relationship. He is very relate able, and I grew to love him. He never strains to offer emotion, which is a huge trap in the romantic comedy industry, and offers an uncommonly honest portrayal of a normal guy who got screwed over.

If I have any complaint about the movie, it is the portrayal of Summer by Zooey Deschanel. It was clear to me at the very beginning that I would not like her, and although the film makes it clear that Summer is a "free spirit", she never became likable to me, and I never wanted Tom to stay with her. It is a minor flaw of the movie, and perhaps not even a flaw, because the movie is more about Tom's journey rather than Summer's philosophy on love and marriage.

The movie never overstayed its welcome, and sprinted by at a breakneck pace all the way through its incredibly brisk 95 minute runningtime. There is never a single boring moment, and it is perhaps this that kept it so close to my heart. It was masterfully crafted to keep everyone interested the entire time, and that really is a refreshing idea in this age of extended static shots and uninteresting unrelated plot twists. This movie sticks to the point, and although there are several fun and fluffy moments, (including a hilariously non sequitur dance sequence with animated birds in the middle of the movie) it skips over the bland "middle part" of the movie that most romantic comedies fall victim to. Perhaps its advantage was again its unconventional mode of storytelling.

It was a fast, fun, entertaining and thought provoking bit of work with wonderful bits of philosophy plugged throughout. Like the tagline will tell you, it isn't just a love story. It is a story about love.

A+

If you liked Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Love Actually and Away We Go you will liek this movie.