It’sofficial. I’m in love with Summer. I love her smile. I love her hair. Ilove her knees. I love how she licks her lips before she talks. I loveher heart-shaped birthmark on her neck. I love it when she sleeps."
(500) Days of Summeris a romantic comedy designed for viewers who don’t usually likeromantic comedies. Or, to rephrase, it’s a movie for those whoappreciate the emotional resonance of a rom-com but are unenthusiasticabout the clichés and formulas associated with the genre. In fact, whatsets (500) Days of Summer apart from its cookie-cutter rom-com brethren is its subtle mocking of convention. Much like Woody Allen’s Annie Halldid for a previous generation, this is a film that best captures acontemporary romantic sensibility. For his feature film debut, formermusic video director Marc Webb has done so much right that it’s hardand perhaps borderline mean-spirited to point out the few minor foibles.
Theprotagonist of the story is hopeless romantic Tom Hansen(Gordon-Levitt) who reflects on the several hundred days he knew SummerFinn(Deschanel). The moment Tom spots her in the workplace, he’sinstantly smitten. After a few encounters at work, the two becomeromantically involved. But there’s one crucial obstacle in theirrelationship: radically opposing perceptions on love. Despite Summer’sfirm stance that she’s not looking for anything serious, Tom harboursdelusions that she’s falling head-over-heels for him.
Thestory of Tom and Summer’s relationship is not conveyed in a simplelinear progression, but rather told out of order(with a counter thatreveals which day it is). As the narrative whipsaws back and forth, thefilm allows us to see moments of happiness and sadness, tenderness andanger, togetherness and separation.all right next to each other. Itshows how memories of the good and the bad intertwine and obscure eachother, depending on the moment. The screenwriters brilliantly realisethat, even in the pain of a break-up, all the happy, earlier memoriesof a person will forever exist. It’s unbelievably difficult to just getover someone when you can still vividly recall how they used to look atyou.
In a sense, (500) Days of Summer feels likean anthology of bits and pieces that don’t often feature in rom-coms.Adamantly eschewing convention(no cute meetings or last-minute dashesto the airport), this is a movie concerned about the thrill ofrealising a girl you desire has similar taste in music, and thehollowness of going out on dates when you’re still pining for yourex-girlfriend. Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber’s screenplay issmart, witty, frequently hilarious, and rooted in recognisable truthsthat give weight to what would otherwise be merely amusing. Also, viewers aren’t damned to endure gross-out gags or unfunny pratfalls, because the comedy(of which there is a lot) evolves organically. Thescript isn’t ridiculously profanity-ridden either, though the sole useof the f-word perhaps provides the biggest laugh. Not everything works- an omniscient narrator seems lazy and overused, and Tom has a kidsister(Moretz) who’s wise beyond her years - but even if somethingfalls flat, there’s plenty of charm to allow us to discount thesemisgivings.
Director Marc Webb brings the script to lifewith the utmost pizzazz; indulging in a full armada of visual tweaksand ocular gags. There are faux old movie recreations(most notably ofIngmar Bergman’s The Seventh Seal) that place Gordon-Levitt andDeschanel in the action, a clever split-screen sequence that balancesTom’s hopeful fantasy with the less optimistic reality, and a wonderful song-and-dance number to convey the joyfulness of Tom’s first night with Summer(set to You Make My Dreams Come Trueby Hall & Oates). This breezy song-and-dance sequence is especiallycritical to putting the movie in proper perspective - for the entiretyof the film, viewers are not objective voyeurs.they’re gazing throughTom’s eyes.
(500) Days of Summer has quite a neo-Woody Allen vibe, calling to mind two classic romantic comedies courtesy of the writer-director: Annie Hall and Manhattan(though Joseph Gordon-Levitt is better looking than Woody andinfinitely less neurotic). These aforementioned films recognised asimple fact that few rom-coms acknowledge: not all romances, no matterhow promising, end happily. (500) Days of Summer also understands this, as well as the fact that every high of a relationship has a matching low.
Theamount of movie-goers who develop crushes for Zooey Deschanel isborderline embarrassing, and this reviewer is as guilty as anyone else.But you can’t help it; every time she appears in a movie, she’sabsolutely enchanting. (500) Days of Summer cleverly trades inon that - an early sequence(with wry narration) explains "the SummerEffect"; presenting hard data which reveals, for example, that shesubstantially increased profits at an ice cream parlour during her timeof employment there, and the average percent of the asking price sheusually pays for an apartment. Summer is always in danger of becoming aromanticised abstraction, but Zooey’s wonderful performance andinherent beauty keeps the character profoundly human. Her charm iseffective, and a viewer can easily understand why Tom would be soenamoured with her and want to hold onto her, even when she’s clearlyand defiantly pulling away from him.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt(best known for his recurring role in the TV series 3rd Rock from the Sun)is note-perfect, and so effortlessly charismatic that it’s hard not tolike him. Thanks to the flights of fancy taken by the script, Gordon-Levitt must speak French, sing awful karaoke, and lead asong-and-dance number in the streets(among other things), all of whichhe accomplishes with marvellous aplomb. Gordon-Levitt and Deschanel arean outstanding screen couple with unusually brilliant chemistry. Theentire cast is simply perfect from top to bottom.
Romanticcomedies are too often robbed of integrity on account of theconstraints of the traditional hackneyed formula. Movies such as (500) Days of Summer, with a willingness to deviate from convention, therefore seem morehonest and excellent than usual. With its boundless charm and wittyscreenplay, this is an easy film to fall in love with.