Movie Review - '(500) Days of Summer'

(500) Days of Summer Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel Directed by Marc Webb Rated PG-13

Movies about relationships can only end so many ways. There are varying degrees of happy endings and sad endings, and (500) Days of Summer hits one of those directly on the head. It's difficult to divulge which one, though, because I suspect it's better to not know anything more than that going in. Instead, I'll focus on three people, two in front of the camera and one behind it. I understand it's a little unorthodox to not actually review a movie in a movie review, but I'll come as close as I can. The film stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Tom and Zooey Deschanel as Summer, hence the film's title. It was directed by Marc Webb, making his feature debut. I should also point out the writers of (500) Days of Summer, Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, who help shape these characters and give them room to develop. Zooey Deschanel has never been a traditional leading lady, not unless you consider Diane Keaton and Carole Lombard traditional. She plays comedy very well - and importantly, does so in her own way - and has a streak of originality and individuality you don't see every weekend in the multiplex, which is exactly why Deschanel isn't the leading lady in things like Kate Hudson movies. The flip side of Deschanel's refreshing quirkiness is that sometimes she's stuck in movies that are too quirky for their own good. She is the current poster girl for that kind of film. Ironically, she plays many characters in the left-of-center indie films that are practically interchangeable, similar to those Kate Hudson movies. But (500) Days affords her not just time to showcase her particular wiles (she's perhaps a bigger presence than a great actress) but also a story with depth beyond the idiosyncrasies. It's a role that seems to have been tailor made for her, and she's a performer who thrives best in that kind of situation. Most of us know Joseph Gordon-Levitt from Third Rock From the Sun, where he played the long-haired kid. It might be just as easy to recognize him as the only cast member who didn't overact every line. He has wisely chosen a different path in his career since (although he was pretty damn good in the vastly underrated Shakespeare revision, 10 Things I Hate About You, released about a decade ago). Beginning with Brick (2006), Gordon-Levitt has carved out a really good niche for himself in smaller films. It has earned him the attention of blockbusters, too, and as evidence, you can see him as the evil Cobra Commander in next month's G.I. Joe. This screenplay casts him as a hopeless romantic, in the most extreme senses of both words. And that's not something we've really seen from him, or at least, not full time the way it is in (500) Days of Summer. And what a revelation he is. Director Marc Webb has captured something unique and almost pure with his two stars thirsting for those perfect roles and a screenplay that needs them as much as they need it. You could not take this script and cast Richard Gere and Julia Roberts or, yes, Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson. That would feel wrong. Because revealing a couple things about this story is revealing too much, in my opinion, (500) Days, that should tell how much the actors have to convey. This is truly a character piece more than one of those overly formulaic pieces of drivel that the studios think we want them to make. So, having laid out all of that, why should you see it? Well, to begin with, this is one of the better movies of the year. In slight role reversals, Gordon-Levitt and Deschanel (or JoZo if you prefer, and I'd prefer you don't) bring Tom and Summer to life rather than just moving the plot from one scene to the next. The soundtrack is great. The way Webb uses the rules of his film to keep the story absorbing works effectively. And, unlike most romances in Hollywood, which these days seem to only be inspired by the title of an 80s song, (500) Days of Summer feels like it came from somewhere. Shouldn't they all?

Comments

[Greg]

I loved this movie when I saw it at the Phoenix Film Festival earlier this year and nothing has knocked it from my #1 film of 2009 perch. I'm really looking forward to seeing it again and taking my family and friends who've been hearing me talk about it for months. Hopefully it will expand to more theaters.

[SEAN]

Wow what a film... I think it is the greatest offbeat romantic comedy I've ever seen...

What a great script from talented talented writers funny and tragic and best of all REAL...And the soundtrack was so sweet I cant begin to describe it...Great directing I feel we will see more of Marc Webb...

Zooey did phenomenal, yes this was the role she was meant to play, even though I do think it's not too far from herself, I do agree with you she has a great presence more so than a great actress

Jo Levitt is growing into a fine crafty actor..Im a huge fan and know he will continue to do great work..

???Ru comparing Zooey to Kate Hudson in acting style/craft or just the reason they both choose/portray those quirky indie roles?????? Kinda confused what your trying to say, and I really wanna know...???? lol

"""""Ironically, she plays many characters in the left-of-center indie films that are practically interchangeable, similar to those Kate Hudson movies""""

-Because I say she is infinitely much more superior to Kate "doesnt know acting for shit" Hudson....

"""This is truly a character piece more than one of those overly formulaic pieces of drivel that the studios think we want them to make. """

Could'nt have said it better myself!!!
A MUST GO SEE!!!
Oh AND TAKE A GIRL!!

[Jason]

The film that 500 Days of Summer is comparable to is Woody Allen’s Annie Hall, another film showing the development and fall of an interesting relationship, from the point of view of a male protagonist. It too uses surrealistic touches. However, in Annie Hall those moments are used to portray Alvy Singer’s desires. He’s either romancing the queen in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, discovering what his former classmates have become, or pulling out Marshall McLuhan from behind a poster to prove a point to a total stranger. These moments compliment Alvy’s self-centered persona. The use of surrealism in 500 Days of Summer is to portray heightened visuals of Tom’s inner emotions. When he is feeling elated and confident, it appears as if everyone on the street is smiling at him right before they transform into Broadway showmen and break out into a choreographed dance number. When Tom is feeling anxiety over an upcoming interaction with Summer, a split screen parallels Tom’s expectations for his evening with the actual encounter. This technique simultaneously reflects his hopes and dreams while showing the façade he must present amidst tragic disappointment.

Read my full review at http://cfilmc.com/500-days-of-summer/