Grade A+/ Rated “PG-13”
“500 Days of Summer” is the funniest and most inventive romantic movie of the year. Note to guys; this is not by any means a “chick flick” not that those can't be good. This is a movie about a complicated romance entirely from the man's point of view so if anything it's a “guy's” movie. So I urge males to refrain from being spooked away by the word “romance” to describe it. It is a romance but this particular romance is hilarious, true-to-heart and is nervy enough to take quirky risks with the narrative, which sets it apart from the usual genre fare.
Actually 500 Days is a movie about the nature of love and relationships irrespective of gender. It's about how people meet and mate with different expectations of each other. In other words it's an authentic representation of relationships, how they start, develop and change. The always excellent Joesph Gordon-Levitt plays Tom Hansen, a twenty-something greetings card writer who has his life turned upside down by a living object of desire named Summer Finn, played by the beguiling Zooey Deschanel . Summer begins working as an intern at Tom's job and he is immediately intrigued by her. And it's no wonder as the voice over narrator informs us, because the whole movie is narrated this way, Summer has had this effect on men ever since she reached adolescence. In one funny scene the narrator profile's Summer from her height, weight and shoe size to the average number of head-turns per bus trip from men, (18 plus), that she got on her way to and from work each day at her previous place of residence. It's a laugh out loud sequence that perfectly illustrates the unconventional nature of this movie.
Allow me to briefly address the potential “narrator” problem; I am sure that for some of you this induces a cringe. Voice over narration can be be exceptionally hard to pull off without becoming a distraction. I understand the sense of dread some viewers have with the idea of it. However, the voice over narration in 500 Days is without exception funny, insightful and most importantly, well-timed. I never had the sense that it was excessive or distracting from the movie. This is one of those “quirky risks” with the narrative that I referred to previously. If you see the movie go with it, because this is an example of it working.
After some enjoyable, and recognizable, hemming and hawing Tom and Summer begin seeing each other. There is a great scene with them in the copy room at separate copiers. They exchange furtive looks and then turn to each other at the same time. Tom's intent is to say something about last night at the karaoke bar but Summer surprises him with a kiss, their first, on the lips. They kiss for several seconds locked in a tight embrace and then part to go on with the rest of their day. It's a great scene played just so; not lingering too long or ending too soon. Right from the very start Summer lets Tom know of her feelings about love; she doesn't believe in it. To her mind relationships always end leaving someone hurt and disappointed. Summer's approach then is casual. Her intent is for her and Tom to just enjoy each other with no expectations. Tom being utterly smitten eagerly accepts her terms and they become involved. As time goes on the relationship develops and they become lovers. Right after their first tryst there is a scene with Tom walking down the street, rapturously happy, with the sound of the Hall & Oates' song “You Make my Dreams” playing. The scene turns into a straight-up movie musical number complete with Tom dancing in formation with strangers on the street. Yes, it sounds over the top and it is. But it's also a great visual representation of how Tom feels and the way the sequence is staged by the director, Marc Webb, it works beautifully. I defy anyone to watch that scene without cracking up, it's just good giddy fun.
Tom and Summer's romance continues for almost a year before things change. Before the movie is over they both will have discovered things about life that they didn't know and they will have both been changed because of it. 500 Days is amongst the most authentic and knowing movies about the mystery of romance and attraction that I've ever seen. It offers few answers but it brilliantly survey's the minefield of the human heart.
Besides it's unconventional narrative style , the other admirable feature of the movie is its cast. Gordon-Levitt's Tom is the type of congenial but slightly directionless young person we've all known and probably have all been at some time. Gordon-Levitt is such a winning personality that we can't help but pull for Tom even as we see him flirting with heartbreak disaster. Zooey Deschanel's Summer is a real charmer; smart, witty, independent, with a great singing voice to boot as evidenced by her performance at the karaoke bar. With her coal black hair and huge bangs, wide eyes and her retro sixties-style dress she's a vision of eccentric attractiveness. Geoffrey Arend as Tom's friend Mckenzie has many comic moments. Matthew Gray Guber as Tom's friend Paul is the lower key comic line maker of the group and he has some good ones. Twelve year Chole Moretz is Tom's sister Rachel and is arguably the more adult of the two of them. Moretz's Rachel is a veritable oracle of wisdom for her brother Tom so much so that it is she, not their parents, that his friends call when Tom is flipping out over Summer. Moretz also delivers comedic lines like a pro and adds much to the movie in her scenes. Minka Kelly also impresses in a very brief scene that may leave you wishing for more of her character. The movie does a wonderful job giving all these performers the space to perform and entertain the audience.
“500 Days of Summer” is one of the great authentic romantic movies whose appeal will only deepen over time. But don't wait for it to age into retro respectability, see now it for the classic it already is.
Comments