(500) Days Of Summer (2009)

Every year Fox Searchlight Pictures distributes a film that becomes a sleeper hit. It Started with "Sideways" in 2004, then "Little Miss Sunshine" in 2006, "Juno" in 2007, and then the Academy Award winning "Slumdog Millionaire" in 2008. All of these films are great films but they have one BIG problem, they are over hyped. It always begins the same way, they are screened at Sundance in January and you hear about how the film is getting a lot of attention. They claim that it's the best film there and audiences respond to it the most. Then by the end of the year you're tired of it because it's been talked about SO much and hyped up so much by critics, the media, and the viewing audience. I've only seen each of these films one time. Even though I would like to see them again, I need to wait a while until I feel like I can watch them again without the stain of hype. Most of the time the film isn't all it was cracked up to be, being that it was a good film, but not all of that.

"(500) Days Of Summer" is a film directed by Marc Webb and stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel. This is Fox Searchlight's 2009 media darling and has received lots of praise. The film is about the 500 days of being in a relationship with Summer Finn. Tom, played by Levitt, is a greeting card writer who falls in love with Summer at first sight and they begin a relationship. Tom is the hopeless romantic while Summer doesn't believe in the idea of soul mates or love. It's a very interesting concept and there's a lot of things about this film that I really adore and a little bit jealous of because I didn't write it. It has a non linear narrative so, throughout the film, you see a title card telling you which day it is in the relationship and it's a really great way to tell this story. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is an incredible actor and I hope to one day be as good as him. He's really amazing in this and carries this film with great ease. He was also nominated for a Golden Globe for this performance. He does a great job as the heartbroken Tom and you can literally see on his face everything that his character is feeling and thinking. He really doesn't even have to say a word but when he does, it makes the scene more powerful than it already is. Zooey Deschanel is wonderfully confused as Summer. I think a lot of people would say that she's a one note actress but I beg to differ after seeing this. She very subtle about it, but she does create different characters. It's all apart of her brilliance.

More than ever this movie is like a love letter to the cinema of yore and music. There's a lot of references to old romance films and even a charming dance sequence to Hall and Oates "You Make My Dreams Come True". It's all strategically placed and makes the story of these two characters incredibly relevant. This isn't like some movies where references are used as a selling point. These references seem to actually contribute to this quirky story of love gone wrong. This is definitely a film that has lots of neat little editing tricks that make this film different from a lot of films. I have to admit that this film might not have been as great as it was hyped up to be, but don't be fooled by that remark cinephiles. This is one of those movies that marinates in your brain long after you've watched it until you realize how much you really did love it. It did kind of start up slow for me and maybe it seemed that way because this is a different kind of story told in a different kind of way. I'm used to non-linear plots because Quentin Tarantino is a master of doing just that, but this film had a lot more to prove to me and to it's audience. This definitely will require a second viewing on my end.

I do highly recommend this film. It's original and different and such a refreshing film to watch amongst all the generics that Hollywood is putting out. We NEED more films like this.