Boy falls in love with girl. And when it's Zooey Deschanel, who wouldn't?
(500) Days of Summer
starring Zooey Deschanel, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Chloe Moretz
directed by Marc Webb
Who doesn’t love Zooey Deschanel? The simple fact that she was in the film was enough to get me out of my chair and out to the theater to see what it was all about. This movie kind of came out of nowhere; I saw a preview that peeked my interest, and then like two weeks later it was out and in theaters. I had zero expectations walking in…and I walked out with a movie that might break into my personal top ten.
As the tag line reads, this is a story of Boy meets Girl. Boy falls in love, but girl does not. And as direct as that is, it is basically the concept for the entire film. Tom, from youth, has been lead to believe he will never be truly happy until he finds ‘the one.’ Summer doesn’t believe love exists at all. Tom tells her early on that he believes love is something you just wake up one morning and know. Summer agrees to disagree, yet they start to hang out anyway and develop an unspoken relationship. Tom is head over hills. The movie jumps back and forth to certain numerical days in the relationship, to happy times and bad, and we get a chance to peer in on how it all unfolds and how things relate and what Tom does to deal with it. It is a wild ride, and full of comedy, tragedy, and an amazing amount of depth.
Gordon-Levitt is an extremely underrated talent. You may remember him from Third Rock From the Sun or even 10 Things I Hate About You, but other than those shows, he has managed to be under the radar for years. The guy portrays a vast range of emotions in the film, and even handles a small dance number. Its not as weird as it sounds, promise. And of course Deschanel is a delight; she hasn’t starred in one film that has been bad. Not one. She brought a girl next door feel to a woman that is strongly guarded but wholely captivating all at once. Plus, she’s hot. No denying that.
There’s something to say about leaving a movie discovering something that you never knew existed yet some how always knew. The belief in fate, and the belief of no fate at all. The plot concept is so simple that it delves deeper into what love is and how people deal with the emotion than perhaps anything I’ve seen or read in years. From Tom breaking plates, to exploding on the job, to spending days in his apartment with no friend but Jack Daniels, you really feel his loss and can connect with how he feels about what’s happening to him. You can relate to Tom’s cluelessness and just how much he doesn’t understand why Summer left. And then again, when its all over, the reason is clear. And you really can’t hate the girl for it. One of Tom’s friends quotes Henry Miller; the best way to get over women is through literature. And that is exactly what this is; a novel about a boy working through heartache and coming to understanding with it.
Kudos to Marc Webb, btw. Up until this point, he’s only directed a few music videos. My hats off to the man for crafting a movie so original and so daring and even unconventional. Hell of a first picture, Mr. Webb. Keep making ‘em.
I’ll be honest with you; I wanted to dock this movie a half star because I thought to myself “You’ve already given too many perfect reviews this summer, are you going soft?” But I have not one bad thing to say about the film. In fact, I would encourage EVERYONE to go out and see it if its at your theater. Its one of those films that should be required viewing.
I will definitely be purchasing this on Blu Ray and watch it many, many times. Be prepared, though. It isn’t a love story, at least in the traditional sense. Its about the journey love can take you on when its one sided. Its also about how when these things happen there’s a reason at the end of that long, 500 days. It’s probably old fashioned of me to say this, but love still is the best thing to write about. Its just finding a way to get people to view it in a whole new light. And (500) Days of Summer did just that.
(500) Days of Zooey Deschanel!
Boy falls in love with girl. And when it's Zooey Deschanel, who wouldn't?
(500) Days of Summer
starring Zooey Deschanel, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Chloe Moretz
directed by Marc Webb
Who doesn’t love Zooey Deschanel? The simple fact that she was in the film was enough to get me out of my chair and out to the theater to see what it was all about. This movie kind of came out of nowhere; I saw a preview that peeked my interest, and then like two weeks later it was out and in theaters. I had zero expectations walking in…and I walked out with a movie that might break into my personal top ten.
As the tag line reads, this is a story of Boy meets Girl. Boy falls in love, but girl does not. And as direct as that is, it is basically the concept for the entire film. Tom, from youth, has been lead to believe he will never be truly happy until he finds ‘the one.’ Summer doesn’t believe love exists at all. Tom tells her early on that he believes love is something you just wake up one morning and know. Summer agrees to disagree, yet they start to hang out anyway and develop an unspoken relationship. Tom is head over hills. The movie jumps back and forth to certain numerical days in the relationship, to happy times and bad, and we get a chance to peer in on how it all unfolds and how things relate and what Tom does to deal with it. It is a wild ride, and full of comedy, tragedy, and an amazing amount of depth.
Gordon-Levitt is an extremely underrated talent. You may remember him from Third Rock From the Sun or even 10 Things I Hate About You, but other than those shows, he has managed to be under the radar for years. The guy portrays a vast range of emotions in the film, and even handles a small dance number. Its not as weird as it sounds, promise. And of course Deschanel is a delight; she hasn’t starred in one film that has been bad. Not one. She brought a girl next door feel to a woman that is strongly guarded but wholely captivating all at once. Plus, she’s hot. No denying that.
There’s something to say about leaving a movie discovering something that you never knew existed yet some how always knew. The belief in fate, and the belief of no fate at all. The plot concept is so simple that it delves deeper into what love is and how people deal with the emotion than perhaps anything I’ve seen or read in years. From Tom breaking plates, to exploding on the job, to spending days in his apartment with no friend but Jack Daniels, you really feel his loss and can connect with how he feels about what’s happening to him. You can relate to Tom’s cluelessness and just how much he doesn’t understand why Summer left. And then again, when its all over, the reason is clear. And you really can’t hate the girl for it. One of Tom’s friends quotes Henry Miller; the best way to get over women is through literature. And that is exactly what this is; a novel about a boy working through heartache and coming to understanding with it.
Kudos to Marc Webb, btw. Up until this point, he’s only directed a few music videos. My hats off to the man for crafting a movie so original and so daring and even unconventional. Hell of a first picture, Mr. Webb. Keep making ‘em.
I’ll be honest with you; I wanted to dock this movie a half star because I thought to myself “You’ve already given too many perfect reviews this summer, are you going soft?” But I have not one bad thing to say about the film. In fact, I would encourage EVERYONE to go out and see it if its at your theater. Its one of those films that should be required viewing.
I will definitely be purchasing this on Blu Ray and watch it many, many times. Be prepared, though. It isn’t a love story, at least in the traditional sense. Its about the journey love can take you on when its one sided. Its also about how when these things happen there’s a reason at the end of that long, 500 days. It’s probably old fashioned of me to say this, but love still is the best thing to write about. Its just finding a way to get people to view it in a whole new light. And (500) Days of Summer did just that.
4 out of 4 stars