500 Days of

Summer (2009)

Directed by Marc Webb

(3 out of 4)

 

Review by Kevin Vu: The narrator in the idiosyncratic romance “500 Days of Summer” quickly informs us that the film is not a love story. And yet, few stories capture the sensation and heartbreak of being in love quite as effectively as this film does. Debuting at Sundance 2009, “500 Days of Summer” follows a succession of hits distributed by Fox Searchlight that include “Garden State,” “Napoleon Dynamite,” “Little Miss Sunshine,” and “Juno.” At first glance, '500 Days' appears to be part of that trendy “indie” genre – films often criticized as being self-consciously quirky – and it could be seen as another entry in the trite boy-meets-girl vein of said genre, but it's elevated by the collaborative efforts of two talented actors and by a filmmaker who manages to deliver something fresh, approaching the central romance in unexpected ways. Read between the lines of what the narrator is saying; “500 Days of Summer” is not a conventional love story.

Hopeless romantic Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) works as a greeting card writer, and believes he’ll only find happiness with “the one.” Fortunately for Tom, along comes new colleague Summer (Zooey Deschanel), an independent, beautiful and endearing young woman he immediately becomes infatuated with. He sees a relationship with Summer as a match made in heaven; however, both have their own varying ideologies about love: Tom is an idealist, while Summer is a pragmatist, unwilling to commit to a relationship and believing that “true love” is merely a fantasy. Using a nonlinear timeline, the film bounces back and forth through the 500 days of their relationship, from moments of bliss to signs of disintegration. And when Summer abruptly calls off their love affair (at around day 200 and something), she leaves Tom in heartbroken turmoil, as he still believes she's his "soulmate."

A veteran of the music video format, director Marc Webb is a welcome addition to the world of filmmaking; and it's refreshing that he prizes story over style, something many making this jump do not. He blends reality with his characters' own fantasies (as in a split screen sequence showing Tom's date how he plans it will happen next to how it's actually happening, and one lavish musical number), and through this fusion captures the process of being in love, in all its complexities, joys and sorrows. With sharp screenwriters Michael Weber and Scott Neustadter, '500 Days' maintains an excellent balance of droll, tongue-in-cheek humor (read the opening disclaimer) and lively narrative, while the on-screen romance is brought to life by the two fine lead actors.

As Tom, Gordon-Levitt continues to display his strengths as a leading man, believably hitting on all the various stages of emotional imbalance his hopeless romantic is put through – he sells his confidence when he's in love, yet is vulnerable enough to be just as convincing as a heartbroken shell of his former self. Neither does his onscreen partner Deschanel disappoint; she gives Summer abundant intelligence and charm, and maintains a perfect balance of coy and distancing. She's able to be emotionally detached without ever seeming callous, and we become just as smitten with her as Tom is. Of course, chemistry is essential for any romance and Gordon-Levitt and Deschanel deliver this in abundance; whether debating the merit of Ringo Starr or strolling through IKEA, they click naturally on screen and this immeasurably strengthens the film. As '500 Days' starts to examine the relationship of these two people – and specifically during the days after Tom and Summer's break-up – the film's fractured narrative structure emulates the way in which we tend to rewind and fast-forward through memories, coming to terms with a broken heart.

'500 Days' emotional strength lies in its ability to tackle relationships and to capture the sentiments of innocent, naïve and unrequited young love – something that is rarely accomplished in the endless (and mindless) studio romances pumped out all year long. The ending is a bit too pat and the last half of the film leaves some gaps (we never really understand Summer's detachment), but this never overshadows all that's good about Webb's film. The director does not play by Hollywood standards, instead presenting his own philosophy of what young love is, and Gordon-Levitt and Deschanel’s authentic chemistry and outstanding performances sell this ideal over the course of scenes of awkward first encounters, intimate displays of affection and palpable longing. The romance ends, and we must accept that this is how love is sometimes: filled with false expectations. Love comes and it goes, and it's refreshing to find such honesty and poignancy in a film so winningly endearing and ultimately optimistic.

Last Word:

Alive with wit and charm, and featuring two excellent lead performances, “500 Days of Summer” is an offbeat and infectious film about real love.

Review By:
Kevin Vu

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