“500 Days of Summer,” a romantic comedy, stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Tom,a greeting card writer with architectural aspirations, and Zooey Deschanel (“Elf”) as Summer, the girl who charms Tom with her wit and beauty. Unlike many recent romantic comedies, "500 Days of Summer" does not feel stale or formulaic. Instead, it's fun, fresh, and relatable as it explores the 500 day relationship between Tom and Summer.
Although Summer is a major character in the film, it is important to note that the film is seen strictly from Tom's perspective. This allows the audience to relate to Tom as he goes through the joys and hardships of romance. And, yes there are many hardships. As the narrator warns the audience during the film's opening, "This is not a love story." By sticking to this idea, screenwriters Scott Neustadter and Michael Weber are able to craft a tale of romantic heartbreak without making the film an emotional downer.
In fact, the movie is anything but a downer. The film hums along at a good pace and deftly mixes the screenplay's dramatic and comedic beats with dynamic, vibrant visuals and one of the best soundtracks in recent years. And the movie has actual jokes in it! Can you believe that? Cleverly thought out jokes in a romantic comedy! While not all of the jokes hit and some overstay their welcome, it is refreshing to actually laugh during a romantic comedy.
Many critics have criticized the movie for its more quirky comic moments, but, to me, it was not a problem. Ever since 2006's Little Miss Sunshine it has been hip to make characters quirky and throw in a ton of pop culture references. Some movies ( Juno) force so many pop culture references down your throat that it gets annoying, cliched, and distracting from the overall story. 500 Days of Summer does not have this problem. Except for maybe one scene that references Sid Vicious, the film's quirk (I am really starting to hate this word.) feels natural to both the story and its characters. Hence, the movie never feels like it is too clever for its own good.
However, what really carries the film is its story and its performances - both of which work together to entertain the audience and convey hard emotional truths about human relationships. Gordon-Levitt really taps into Tom's idealized version of love and is able to carry the film through both its bright and dark moments. Deschanel, who is unable to give a full characterization due to the nature of her role, shines in her subtler moments when one can almost read the uncertainty on her face. Unfortunately, the supporting characters (i.e. friends, little sisters, fellow employees) come off as annoying and cliched. Thankfully, they are not given enough screen time to derail the movie into typical romantic comedy fare.
In conclusion, 500 Days of Summer - directed with much dexterity by Marc Webb - is stylish, funny and emotionally resonant. And while it may not be the best film of the year, it is certainly one of the most memorable, and without a doubt one of the best romantic comedies in recent years.
B+
Have you seen 500 Days of Summer? If so, what are your thoughts? Be sure to leave your review in the comments. No need to have a Blogger account. Just use Anonymous or Name/URL.
4 comments:
i agree an excellent movie in my opinion. Great soundtrack-great acting- great comedy
One of the best, most entertaining, refreshing creations in a long time. Memorable.
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I really enjoyed this movie and you cannot believe how glad I was that it was another awful awful romantic comedy. In fact that genre has become so tainted with awful movies that I don't want to classify this movie as a romantic comedy. I especially enjoyed the scene the morning after Tom gets lucky and there is a big musical with that song that get used in EVERY romantic comedy ever made ("...you're making my dreams come true..."). Loved the movie and I completely agree that it is refreshingly funny and smart, especially for a "romantic comedy".
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