(500) Days of Summer (****)

Directed by: Marc Webb
Starring: Joseph-Gordon Levitt, Zooey Deschanel, Geoffrey Arend
Seen: December 4th 2009

**** Out of ****

(500) Days of Summer is one of the most refreshing romantic comedies/dramas (I’ll never regress to the point where I use the word dramedy, terrible, terrible word that…) I have seen in my life. Firstly, the movie was made for a target market of men. I know what you’re thinking, a romance for men? But crazy as it sounds, this is true, and even though women rated it very highly in initial pre-screenings, men rated it even higher (currently the IMDB ratings is virtually even, with men at 8.1 and females at 8.2 out of 10). And with good reason: this movie is made (surprisingly) purely from the guy’s side. Not the usual “I pine for this girl and then it’s told from the relationship perspective”, but solely from the guy’s perspective. And it’s brilliant.

The title holds one of the devices used throughout the film to indicate to us where in the relationship the non-linear storytelling is jumping to. (Reference day number) is displayed to indicate where the following section of the movie is told from whenever a break comes up in the telling of this (not a) love story, with the earlier days being fantastic representations of being freshly in love, from constantly smiling to feeling like dancing in the streets to the soundtrack of your own life. The first meeting and initial approach of the girl is exactly what most guys experience, as this makes a complete and utter mockery of the guy doing everything (in his mind) to impress the girl, with nothing seemingly working. It is a beautiful throwback to everything you’ve ever experienced at the outset of a relationship.

As the trailers have shown, this is just a story about boy meets girl, and it is one about a finite love story between Tom Hansen (Gordon-Levitt) and Summer Finn (Deschanel). Both inhabit their characters to perfection, with the story being told from Tom’s perspective, and Summer only ever viewed as a spectator through Tom’s eyes. So his idea of her is what is portrayed in the movie, not necessarily Summer herself. The side characters are mostly Tom’s friends and work colleagues, and the support they offer is pitch-perfect, especially McKenzie (Arend), who in effect sets things in motion from the purgatory it started out in.

Tom’s education as an architect is also well incorporated into the story, as he has a passion for the profession, but he chose a job as a greeting card-writer in the interim, which is a season of his life he really actually has to get behind him. Some have claimed that the ending is a bit too forced, too obvious (in a completely surprising way, though), but I really applaud the overwhelming idea of romanticism displayed in this simple gesture.

(500) Days of Summer is one of my definite favourites for the year, and is also one of very few romantically themed movies to be included in the list of movies I mention whenever asked about all-time favourite movies. I want to see this over and over again, as even though this is not a love story, the hope it can inspire in each of us wins the day. Rush to your closest theatre and see this, as many times as possible.