Review of (500) Days of Summer (2009) by Dayton H — 28 Aug 2013

I am a sucker for romance, I'll admit. But I've never been a huge fan of how relationships are typically portrayed in cinema. They've never truly felt real, focusing on one silly, clichéd problem between lovers or ignoring the existence of problems altogether.

But this movie broke that trend. Honestly, I can't think of a single thing I'd change about it. The structure of the film is whimsical at first, but gains quite a bit of meaning later. It almost feels like we're passing though Tom's stream of consciousness, going through every moment of these 500 days to find mistakes and memories to hold onto.

Tom, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, captures every aspect of the male over-thinker: the innocence, the sadness, the anger, and, of course, the confusion. Zooey Deschanel plays his love interest and the film's namesake, Summer.

While frustrating, her character is real and her acting feels very real as well. Tom and Summer's relationship really stuck a chord with me. I won't give much away, but their awkward silences, refusals to admit something's wrong, and moments of connection are all things I've seen and even experienced, and they couldn't feel more loyal to reality.

The movie has a great sense of humor, too, utilizing the unorthodox storytelling to break down so many walls. Let's just say there is a musical number to a Hall & Oates tune. Speaking of tunes, this film has one of my favorite soundtracks, reinforcing the heartbreak, but also the shining moments in relationships, whether they end well or not.

In the end, yes, this is a love story, but not a "happily forever after" love story, but an honest one. Brutally honest, but bold. Just the boldness this genre of film needed.