Film Review: (500) Days Of Summer

Posted by: Ian – Jul 31, 2009

In recent years, the idea of a film about romance has required quite the makeover. There are still audiences that will pay the rising admission rate to see a motion picture that follows typical tropes, familiar character archetypes and simple plot devices. While (500) Days of Summer does find it’s way floating back and forth between these moments, it does discover it’s own unique set of legs and marks a bit of unfamiliar territory for this genre.

As the tagline suggests, this tale is about boy meets girl, boy falls in love and girl doesn’t. The boy is Tom Hansen (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and the girl is Summer Finn (Zooey Deschanel). The film jumps around the five hundred days of their relationship together and the aftermath. By doing so, it allows director Marc Webb to streamline the lives of these two individuals and highlight the changes that occur over the course of their relationship.

This is one of the charms of (500) Days of Summer. It’s decision to move the story throughout the five hundred days in a way that layers scenes on top of one another. One prime example is a moment where Tom shares a movie-watching experience with Summer. The two are enjoying one another and the mutual intimacy is engaging. The next scene takes place months later and follows Tom in the same movie theater haunted by memories of their past love. The layers of rediscovered time find the two sharing moments at Ikea, familiar bars and their respective bedrooms. By allowing this perspective on their relationship, it gives the sequences a voice of their own that surpassed what could easily be scripted as dialogue that tells too much.

One sequence in particular felt incredibly fitting for director Webb. His history lies mostly in music videos. There are traces of that style found throughout the film as well as moments where he truly comes into his own as a motion picture director. The particular sequence in reference is the day after Tom and Zooey have first consummated their “casual” relationship. Tom dances across a backdrop of friendly faces in a choreographed fashion. As the dance continues, it relishes in the absurdities and ridiculous clichés scenes like this fall in. What sells the moment is the segue it provides. As the audience witnesses Tom at one of his greatest emotional highs, a wave of animated birds, bright colors and such provide a voice for this moment. The segue moves us to the plummeting reality of Summer’s departure from his life. The next scene enters Tom returning to his workplace and seeing the void left by his ex-lover. A stranger now occupies the desk where she used to be and his motivation to excel at work is diminished, if non-existent.

In many ways, this sequence showcases a prevalent idea that is expressed throughout the film. Questions are provided about the misunderstandings most people share about the meaning of love, the idea of fate, what any type of sexual relationship means and where does happiness truly lie. By addressing these queries and giving somewhat realistic answers, the film finds it’s own place above a genre oversaturated with saccharine-infused love stories.

Any good story isn’t worth telling if the players involved don’t sell the tale. The essence of the performances by Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel is simply this. While watching them on screen, they are the characters they play. It’s not like when Ryan Reynolds plays a different variant of a romantic lead. Gordon-Levitt and Deschanel are given a weight to their characters and the ability to make them feel real to the audience. Their apartments are scattered with tangible artifacts. The audience is able to detect the moments of vulnerability, pain and distance between the two. The dialogue and chemistry between them is earned and makes their endearing tale one worth telling.

Now, by no means is this a perfect film. As mentioned before, there are moments where the films falls into expected territory. While entertaining, it seems like every film dealing with a fledgling romance needs that the child/adolescent who has wisdom beyond their years. In having this trait, that character provides their elders with life lessons that help guide the story. (500) Days of Summer has this. While it isn’t annoying, it makes one wonder if the film would suffer to not have the inclusion of this character.

This might not win me any fans, but I have always been on the fence about the motion picture Garden State. I enjoyed the picture and felt that it had an interesting story and great cast. What kept me at bay was the ending that felt as if it existed more to satisfy the audience as opposed to disrupt their expectations. I mean imagine if Zach Braff hadn’t gotten off that plane and the last moments of the film were Natalie Portman in an airport brought to tears by his departure. By no means am I trying to insinuate that I harbor ill feelings towards happy endings. If they are earned and feel like the right way to end a story, then I am all for them, but in the case of Garden State. I didn’t think this was the case.

Now, (500) Days of Summer and Garden State are two very different films that exist in a similar genre. This genre is the independent romantic comedy. They both offer similar traits but they are capable of defining themselves as separate of their cinematic peers. The final act of (500) Days of Summer has incredible moments thrown all around. It isn’t until the final moment where I cant help but feel like the film attempted to dissuade the audience of what they just watched. In this moment, I’m not sure that the film earned the ending they gave the audience. For the sake of not spoiling the film for audiences that will see this picture, I wont continue. Just see it for yourself.

All in all, this was a unique picture that told a tale familiar to us all. Where familiarity can kill the plots of films dictated by romance, (500) Days of Summer is a savory reminder of a very real relationship between two very real people. When it comes to that, what more can you ask for besides a film that might speak directly to you and your romantic past. Even if it is for just a minute.

Cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Zooey Deschanel

Written by: Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber

Directed by: Marc Webb

by Shannon Cleary