500 Days of Summer; surprisingly original
By Megan Carroll
'500 Days of Summer' breaks the vapid mold of most romantic comedies.
Romantic comedies are a guilty pleasure of mine. I don’t often share that with many folks, because I more often than not am disappointed with them on screen. Shallow, vapid, and silly come to mind. But after seeing 500 Days of Summer I felt a need to “come out of the closet.” This quirky movie left me grinning ear to ear and I knew I had to share this small independent film with you no matter the consequences! 500 Days of Summer is charming, funny and its take on this staple of movie genres is truly original. And they flat out tell you that in the first few moments of the movie!
Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a shy greeting card writer who is instantly infatuated when he meets the new temp in the office by the name of Summer (Zooey Deschanel). She encompasses everything he thinks he wants and needs in a woman. As things heat up, and they certainly do, she suddenly slams on the brakes leaves Tom flustered, frustrated and infatuated. As the days go by Tom finds himself lost in Summer. His men friends are of no help and his precocious little sister (Chloe Moretz) uncharacteristically cannot offer any sage advice.
One of the more interesting things about this film is how it is shot. It would be too easy to do this sequentially so director Mike Webb scrambles the 500 days of the relationship in a very logical yet disorienting way. Trust me, you have to experience it to see how well it works. Tom falls deeper and deeper in love just as Summer pulls farther and farther away. As the audience we know things are going badly for Tom, but we have no idea why, and we definitely cannot tell where it is all going to end. Even though we see the 500th day way before the end of the movie, the director and writer keep us guessing until the very end of the film. We are definitely one with Tom and even Summer.
Gordon-Levitt encompasses this character–he is offbeat and likeable at the same time. He makes Tom lovable, vulnerable and even a little sexy. You cannot help but care for him. Gordon-Levitt allows us to see Tom’s gifts and flaws. We see Tom trying to find himself and finally tapping into his true abilities and intelligence. Meanwhile, Deschanel is enchanting and her sexy quirkiness makes it easy to see why Tom has fallen so hard.
These two make such a cute couple that when boy loses girl, as it must happen, I was truly heartbroken. Tom’s pain seeps off the screen and into your heart and it hurts. The film does have some surprises up its sleeve which keeps your mind off the heartbreak. Jumping from one hilarious scene to one of more substance and back to hilarity, keeps the ambiance light. Office karaoke party—need I say more?
The films photography and sound score are done with such thought and beauty that it only adds to your feelings of love and loss. If they make a soundtrack you must go buy it! Best music in a film since, well since, any Quentin Tarantino film. 500 Days of Summer is an invigorating honest look at attraction, relationships and the architecture of love. Just like love this film will make you smile uncontrollable and at the same time takes your breath away with the pain of a loved lost.
