Written by: Corey Wackel
It would seem that every romantic comedy that comes out during the span of a year features the same story: girl falls for boy and they end up happily ever after. Forget the fact that they’re not compatible what so ever. True love is so easy to find apparently. Luckily for moviegoers, there’s always one film in a great many years that breaks this mold and redefines a great love story. The last time this happened was in 2002, with the release of “Love Actually.” This year, “500 Days of Summer” proves to be the next movie which can meet this requirement. Except, we should ask ourselves, is it really a love story? Afterall, the narrator at the beginning of the film tells us the exact opposite, stating that what you are about to see is not a love story. In the end, none of it seems to matter really. The characters don’t find a future together, but they do grow from their combined experience.
The story behind the film is rather simple. Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays Tom Hansen, a man who believes in true love, while Zooey Deschanel plays Summer Finn, a woman who believes the exact opposite. Each has concrete ideas about why love does or doesn’t work out, and these conflicting ideas are what drive the film. Summer’s parents divorced when she was rather young, so she strongly believes that true love doesn’t exist. When Tom falls for Summer, it’s up to him to convince her otherwise.
What separates “500 Days of Summer” from every other romantic comedy is its true-to-life handling of falling in love. The film portrays the awkwardness of the first encounter and the nervousness of what exactly to say. Too many romantic comedies make us believe that love is an instant thing. “The Proposal,” earlier this year, created two leads that fall in love rather quickly. We’re generally led to believe two people are supposed to put aside their differences and are supposed to find a lifelong love. The beauty about “500 Days of Summer” is that it is brutally honest with its message: that love is purely coincidental and that relationships come and go throughout one’s life. Credit for this wonderful realization can be given to the screenwriters, Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber. It’s unclear whether any real life experience correlates with what we see on screen, but it would seem that there almost has to be such an event. The script, afterall, is wonderfully written and, as noted, it deals with love as it exists in the real world. It’s not cliché and it’s certainly not unbelievable.
Leads Gordon-Levitt and Zeschanel seem to belong together. They have undeniable chemistry, and that’s what makes much of “500 Days of Summer” work. We can picture these people together, and that’s thanks to the talents of the two actors. Gordon-Levitt continues to make a great career for himself, following up his performance in “The Lookout” with this fully realized character. There’s a point in the film in which I found myself thinking “this performance deserves an Oscar nod.” His performance is easily the best from any actor this year, and he brings heartache and humor to the character of Tom. Deschanel also seems to be perfectly cast. I believe that Deschanel, largely an indie actress, is the most natural actress working today. Everytime I see her, I can’t help but think about how seemingly effortless she makes her characters seem. As Summer, she’s at her most charming and beautiful. What remains true about each character is the fact that we never come to hate either character. We understand that the relationship doesn’t work, but we never really come to put full blame on either character. That’s a testament to Levitt and Deschanel’s talent. They make both of their characters likable, and that makes all the difference in the world.
“500 Days of Summer” is proving to be the indie hit of the year. Unlike most independent film, it doesn’t try to feel like one. “Juno” tried much too hard after the success of “Little Miss Sunshine” in 2006. “500 Days of Summer,” however, wisely chose to be its own film. It’s clearly an original romantic comedy, but more importantly it’s a film that remains true to its characters. It also tells a story that all of us can relate to. The film takes itself out of reality when needed, but most of the film is grounded in the time and place in which we live.
Final Comment: “500 Days of Summer” is the freshest, funniest comedy of the year. It proves to be a unique, original comedy that strips itself of the problems which plague a normal romantic comedy. Lead Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel are astounding and the script is simply delightful. Perhaps most important, though, the film tells us the truth about love and human connections.
Rating: 10/10
It would seem that every romantic comedy that comes out during the span of a year features the same story: girl falls for boy and they end up happily ever after. Forget the fact that they’re not compatible what so ever. True love is so easy to find apparently. Luckily for moviegoers, there’s always one film in a great many years that breaks this mold and redefines a great love story. The last time this happened was in 2002, with the release of “Love Actually.” This year, “500 Days of Summer” proves to be the next movie which can meet this requirement. Except, we should ask ourselves, is it really a love story? Afterall, the narrator at the beginning of the film tells us the exact opposite, stating that what you are about to see is not a love story. In the end, none of it seems to matter really. The characters don’t find a future together, but they do grow from their combined experience.
The story behind the film is rather simple. Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays Tom Hansen, a man who believes in true love, while Zooey Deschanel plays Summer Finn, a woman who believes the exact opposite. Each has concrete ideas about why love does or doesn’t work out, and these conflicting ideas are what drive the film. Summer’s parents divorced when she was rather young, so she strongly believes that true love doesn’t exist. When Tom falls for Summer, it’s up to him to convince her otherwise.
What separates “500 Days of Summer” from every other romantic comedy is its true-to-life handling of falling in love. The film portrays the awkwardness of the first encounter and the nervousness of what exactly to say. Too many romantic comedies make us believe that love is an instant thing. “The Proposal,” earlier this year, created two leads that fall in love rather quickly. We’re generally led to believe two people are supposed to put aside their differences and are supposed to find a lifelong love. The beauty about “500 Days of Summer” is that it is brutally honest with its message: that love is purely coincidental and that relationships come and go throughout one’s life. Credit for this wonderful realization can be given to the screenwriters, Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber. It’s unclear whether any real life experience correlates with what we see on screen, but it would seem that there almost has to be such an event. The script, afterall, is wonderfully written and, as noted, it deals with love as it exists in the real world. It’s not cliché and it’s certainly not unbelievable.
Leads Gordon-Levitt and Zeschanel seem to belong together. They have undeniable chemistry, and that’s what makes much of “500 Days of Summer” work. We can picture these people together, and that’s thanks to the talents of the two actors. Gordon-Levitt continues to make a great career for himself, following up his performance in “The Lookout” with this fully realized character. There’s a point in the film in which I found myself thinking “this performance deserves an Oscar nod.” His performance is easily the best from any actor this year, and he brings heartache and humor to the character of Tom. Deschanel also seems to be perfectly cast. I believe that Deschanel, largely an indie actress, is the most natural actress working today. Everytime I see her, I can’t help but think about how seemingly effortless she makes her characters seem. As Summer, she’s at her most charming and beautiful. What remains true about each character is the fact that we never come to hate either character. We understand that the relationship doesn’t work, but we never really come to put full blame on either character. That’s a testament to Levitt and Deschanel’s talent. They make both of their characters likable, and that makes all the difference in the world.
“500 Days of Summer” is proving to be the indie hit of the year. Unlike most independent film, it doesn’t try to feel like one. “Juno” tried much too hard after the success of “Little Miss Sunshine” in 2006. “500 Days of Summer,” however, wisely chose to be its own film. It’s clearly an original romantic comedy, but more importantly it’s a film that remains true to its characters. It also tells a story that all of us can relate to. The film takes itself out of reality when needed, but most of the film is grounded in the time and place in which we live.
Final Comment: “500 Days of Summer” is the freshest, funniest comedy of the year. It proves to be a unique, original comedy that strips itself of the problems which plague a normal romantic comedy. Lead Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel are astounding and the script is simply delightful. Perhaps most important, though, the film tells us the truth about love and human connections.
Rating: 10/10
Written by: Tim Luisi
For many years it has seemed like the romantic comedy and science fiction genres have been completely tapped out. In both clichés have ruled the day in place of originality, proven formulas over risk. Except for a few flashes here and there (The Matrix, Wall-E, and Love Actually) the genres have appeared dead. And that is why this weekend at the movies was such a refreshing experience. For the first time in a very long time, hope is evident for both of these genres in the form of two of the best movies from this year so far. Bold, unique, and utterly entertaining, both (500) Days of Summer and District 9 are truly a breath of fresh air and films that everyone should lend their support.
To begin with, (500) Days of Summer is the greatest romantic comedy to be released this decade not titled Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Featuring a truly terrific performance from Joseph Gordon Levitt and a script that stacks up well against most other indie fare in recent years, this is a winning film that will hopefully be recognized at years end as one of its best.
Warned from the very beginning of the film by the narrator that, “This is a story about boy meets girl, but you should know upfront that it is not a love story,” this is a film that avoids any and all clichés of previous efforts like it. Telling the story of Tom (Joseph Gordon Levitt), a man who believes in soul mates and true love, and Summer (Zooey Deschannel) the object of his affection who has the completely opposite viewpoint, this is a film that is both very simple in concept but ultimately completely original in execution.
Throughout the film the audience is shown different experiences of the “couple”, ranging from moments where they both seem to love each other to times of anger and frustration, much like the techniques used by Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Because of this the audience is treated to several moments of relationships that are often ignored in mainstream romantic comedies. Instead of instant attraction on both sides, there is the awkward first conversation; instead of jumping straight into bed with each other this relationship takes time to grow.
While the moments themselves are interesting, what is more so is the dynamic of Tom and Summer’s relationship itself. Tom, who grew up watching The Graduate has completely romanticized the concept of dating, makes it almost his only goal to find his soul mate, whereas Summer refuses throughout the film to even acknowledge Tom as her boyfriend, not wanting to start anything too serious. The chasm that is created because of this leads to greater and greater tension throughout, and as a result creates some of the greatest dialogue of the year. Despite being an independent film the conversations never rely too heavily on quirks, instead depending on believable characterizations and recognizable situations.
Even though the relationship itself is absolutely fascinating, what is perhaps even more interesting is the direction that Marc Webb takes with the film, creating one of the few romantic comedies to ever look at the relationship through the eyes of the male perspective. Everything that happens is seen through Tom’s viewpoint. Because of this, Summer is idealized, almost to the point where she has no flaws, except of course when she breaks up with him at which point she is the devil incarnate. This allows for several entertaining scenes that show how he is feeling rather than what is actually happening, including a dance number following the first time that he spends the night with the girl of his dreams, that could fit into almost any Rogers and Hammerstein musical
Since the film is so heavily focused on Tom, it is Joseph Gordon Levitt who is asked to carry it, a task he proves completely ready for. Going through a huge range of emotions and acting styles, Levitt delivers not only one of the best performances of the year so far, but one of the strongest this decade. He is so perfect in his role that is difficult to imagine anyone else in his place; this is the character that he was born to play and despite being asked to do so much there is never once a flaw in the performance. If he is not nominated for an Oscar this year, then the AMPAS simply did not watch the film, because it is extremely unlikely that there will be five better performances than his.
Zooey Deschannel on the other hand, while good, is not asked to do much more here than similar roles did in Yes Man and The Happening. It is, however, easy to see how someone could fall so in love with her, and thus she fulfills all that the screenplay required of her.
While the screenplay and actors of the film are truly its centerpiece, the technical aspect of the film should not be overlooked. The cinematography is far superior to most independent films as is the catchy soundtrack. Also, adding great personality to the film is its editing, flashing backwards and forwards between different times in Tom and Summer’s relationship and having several unique approaches to different scenes, such as the split screen that occurs in one scene, showing what Tom expects to happen as opposed to what actually does.
In a summer filled with unnecessary sequels (Night at the Museum 2, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen) and in a genre more know for its mediocrity than its value, (500) Days of Summer is something that should be celebrated and is something that every fan of movies should see. Entertaining and one of the very best of its kind, this is a story that strives for originality and unlike most actually finds it.
Rating: 9/10
For many years it has seemed like the romantic comedy and science fiction genres have been completely tapped out. In both clichés have ruled the day in place of originality, proven formulas over risk. Except for a few flashes here and there (The Matrix, Wall-E, and Love Actually) the genres have appeared dead. And that is why this weekend at the movies was such a refreshing experience. For the first time in a very long time, hope is evident for both of these genres in the form of two of the best movies from this year so far. Bold, unique, and utterly entertaining, both (500) Days of Summer and District 9 are truly a breath of fresh air and films that everyone should lend their support.
To begin with, (500) Days of Summer is the greatest romantic comedy to be released this decade not titled Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Featuring a truly terrific performance from Joseph Gordon Levitt and a script that stacks up well against most other indie fare in recent years, this is a winning film that will hopefully be recognized at years end as one of its best.
Warned from the very beginning of the film by the narrator that, “This is a story about boy meets girl, but you should know upfront that it is not a love story,” this is a film that avoids any and all clichés of previous efforts like it. Telling the story of Tom (Joseph Gordon Levitt), a man who believes in soul mates and true love, and Summer (Zooey Deschannel) the object of his affection who has the completely opposite viewpoint, this is a film that is both very simple in concept but ultimately completely original in execution.
Throughout the film the audience is shown different experiences of the “couple”, ranging from moments where they both seem to love each other to times of anger and frustration, much like the techniques used by Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Because of this the audience is treated to several moments of relationships that are often ignored in mainstream romantic comedies. Instead of instant attraction on both sides, there is the awkward first conversation; instead of jumping straight into bed with each other this relationship takes time to grow.
While the moments themselves are interesting, what is more so is the dynamic of Tom and Summer’s relationship itself. Tom, who grew up watching The Graduate has completely romanticized the concept of dating, makes it almost his only goal to find his soul mate, whereas Summer refuses throughout the film to even acknowledge Tom as her boyfriend, not wanting to start anything too serious. The chasm that is created because of this leads to greater and greater tension throughout, and as a result creates some of the greatest dialogue of the year. Despite being an independent film the conversations never rely too heavily on quirks, instead depending on believable characterizations and recognizable situations.
Even though the relationship itself is absolutely fascinating, what is perhaps even more interesting is the direction that Marc Webb takes with the film, creating one of the few romantic comedies to ever look at the relationship through the eyes of the male perspective. Everything that happens is seen through Tom’s viewpoint. Because of this, Summer is idealized, almost to the point where she has no flaws, except of course when she breaks up with him at which point she is the devil incarnate. This allows for several entertaining scenes that show how he is feeling rather than what is actually happening, including a dance number following the first time that he spends the night with the girl of his dreams, that could fit into almost any Rogers and Hammerstein musical
Since the film is so heavily focused on Tom, it is Joseph Gordon Levitt who is asked to carry it, a task he proves completely ready for. Going through a huge range of emotions and acting styles, Levitt delivers not only one of the best performances of the year so far, but one of the strongest this decade. He is so perfect in his role that is difficult to imagine anyone else in his place; this is the character that he was born to play and despite being asked to do so much there is never once a flaw in the performance. If he is not nominated for an Oscar this year, then the AMPAS simply did not watch the film, because it is extremely unlikely that there will be five better performances than his.
Zooey Deschannel on the other hand, while good, is not asked to do much more here than similar roles did in Yes Man and The Happening. It is, however, easy to see how someone could fall so in love with her, and thus she fulfills all that the screenplay required of her.
While the screenplay and actors of the film are truly its centerpiece, the technical aspect of the film should not be overlooked. The cinematography is far superior to most independent films as is the catchy soundtrack. Also, adding great personality to the film is its editing, flashing backwards and forwards between different times in Tom and Summer’s relationship and having several unique approaches to different scenes, such as the split screen that occurs in one scene, showing what Tom expects to happen as opposed to what actually does.
In a summer filled with unnecessary sequels (Night at the Museum 2, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen) and in a genre more know for its mediocrity than its value, (500) Days of Summer is something that should be celebrated and is something that every fan of movies should see. Entertaining and one of the very best of its kind, this is a story that strives for originality and unlike most actually finds it.
Rating: 9/10